The Lessons in Life
by Erica Evans
Summary: [Ch 13 up] Sequel to "As Seen in A Dream" A grown up Reagan Potter returns to London and begins her life as an adult. Quidditch, Animagi, love, some eloping and a fluffy realization of Reagan and ? R&R please!
1. Prologue: The Four Year Break

**

The Lessons in Life   
  
By: Erica Evans 

  
  
Prologue: The Four Year Break   
  
**_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
A/N: This is the last fic in the series that began over a year ago with 'Secrets that Were Kept.' This chapter begins a few years after 'As Seen in a Dream' left off. This is the chapter that got moved.   
  
Dear Miss Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Head Girl. Enclosed you will find a list of your duties and also your Head Girl badge.  
Congratulations, Miss Potter, As Head Girl, it is expected that you uphold the values and ideals of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as you perform your duties with the honor befitting a Gryffindor.  
Professor Remus Lupin  
Deputy Headmaster  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
_ "I'm Head Girl," Reagan announced to no one. The house was empty. Her father was at work, and her mother had gone out shopping, leaving Reagan alone in the house. Reagan hadn't felt like shopping today.   
  
She took her breakfast dishes to the sink and turned on the faucet to wash them and then stopped.   
  
"You're of age, Reagan," she laughed at her self. She had turned seventeen in April, though she still wasn't used to being able to do magic freely at home. She turned to go back up to her bedroom, muttered a charm to wash her dishes, noticing a second envelope on the table.   
  
"I didn't see this one," she muttered to herself. She picked up a second envelope, and realized who it was from: Trevor.   
  
_ Reagan,  
Just wanted to see how you were doing, I haven't heard back from you in a while. I wanted to make sure you were okay.   
  
_ "Yeah, Trevor," Reagan muttered. "I'm dandy."   
  
_ You can stop thinking sarcastic responses now, and don't think that they aren't sarcastic. I'll be in London in about a week, any chance of meeting me?? I'll buy you lunch, and I know you won't refuse a meal. Come on, its on me, you pick where ever you want, we'll even go into Muggle London if you'd like.   
  
_ Reagan laughed and read on. _  
  
It will be good to see you. I'll wait for your reply.   
  
Always,  
Trevor  
  
_ Reagan sighed. She knew she missed Trevor; she hadn't seen him in about a month, and even though she wanted to accept his lunch offer, she couldn't bring herself to do so.   
  
She turned and went upstairs to her room, both the Hogwarts letter and Trevor's clenched tightly in her hand. She had been made a Prefect her fifth year, just as Trevor had predicted. Her sixth year she had been made Prefect again, and he had been made Head Boy. Now it was the summer before her seventh year at Hogwarts, and Reagan sat on her bed, still clutching her Head Girl letter in her hand.   
  
Looking around her room, her eyes fell onto a photo of three people waving. Reagan smiled at the memory of their first Quidditch cup, she and Josie were holding the silver cup above their heads, one arm each around Cal. Another photo caught her eye, a picture of herself and Cal waving as they left their last O.W.L. exam. Reagan's eyes filled with tears. That photo had been taken about a year after Josie's death. There was a picture of Trevor and her, both holding their Prefect badges, both grinning madly. The last picture she looked at was a picture of Trevor with his Head Bog badge pinned onto his robes, during a meeting on the Hogwarts express. He looked up during his speech, looking directly into the camera, smiled and winked before looking back at the other Prefects.   
  
Reagan rolled onto her stomach and watched Eclipse chase a moth. She was tired and felt lazy, though it was midmorning. Sitting up, she decided she needed to get away, she needed to go and do something. She quickly wrote a note to her father and one to her mum before sending Vira off to them before she Apparated to the Burrow.   
  
"Reagan?" her grandmother asked. "Are you all right?"   
  
"Hi Gran," Reagan replied. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't want to be at home."   
  
"Well you are always welcome here," Molly said. "Would you like to help me?"   
  
"What are you doing?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Making ice cream," Molly replied. "I've always preferred the taste of homemade ice cream."   
  
Reagan sat and stirred the mixture, preventing it from sticking to the sides of the charmed basin.   
  
"You seem upset dear," Molly said. "Are you sure you're all right?"   
  
Reagan sighed. "I'm fine, I just... I don't know. I'm the new Head Girl. Thats some good news."   
  
"Ooohh!" Molly squealed and hugged her granddaughter. "Thats wonderful! This family has produced more Head Boys and Girls than any other! First there was Bill and then Percy, and then Harry and Hermione and then your mother! Mackenzie and Will and then Philip and then, James and now you! Thats wonderful dear. Oh Reagan, whats wrong?"   
  
Reagan wasn't smiling. "Gran, I don't know whats wrong. It's being Head Girl, and then its Trevor--"   
  
"What had Trevor done?!"   
  
"-- and then I miss Cal, and Lane, and of course I miss Josie. I had another dream about her. And I don't know what I want to do, well I know what I want to do but I don't think anyone will be all that supportive of it and..." Reagan stopped and sobbed into her hands. Molly's comforting arms wrapped themselves around her and held her close.   
  
"Reagan, dear," Molly said, calming her down. "You've had terrible death of someone that was very close to you, and you were very young. The only person who has any inclination what you're going through is your father--"   
  
"I've already talked to him about all of this! He'll think I'm silly for not letting go!"   
  
"Now Reagan, you know thats not true," Molly said. "Search your mind and soul, dear, you know your father would never think anything you do as silly."   
  
Reagan sighed. "I know. Its just hard."   
  
"Now where was Trevor in all of that?"   
  
"He hasn't done anything," Reagan said. "In fact he's been wonderful. He's been supportive and helpful and caring and... and I don't know what to do about him. He's my best friend but I think I just need time... away from everything..."   
  
"Its understandable dear," her grandmum said to her. "And no matter what you do, this family will support you. We love you Reagan. We all just want you to be happy."   
  
"I know," she whispered.   
  
She stayed at the Burrow the rest of the morning and late into the afternoon before returning to her house. Her parents were both home and she sat them down in the living room and handed each of them a parchment.   
  
"Reagan, whats this?" her mother asked.   
  
"Mum, just read it," Reagan replied.   
  
"Stanford University of Magic, Berkley, California," Ginny read. "I can read what it says, Reagan, I just want to know why your handing this to me."   
  
"I think she wants to go here," Harry said. "Next year, after she finishes Hogwarts."   
  
"You want to go to a university in America?" Ginny asked and Reagan nodded. "But why?"   
  
"Because its not here," Reagan said. "Mum, I need to get away, I need to be out on my own, away from everyone."   
  
"But Reagan you don't know anyone over there," Ginny said.   
  
"Dad has family," Reagan said. "Remember, I've met them? Allison Potter and Ryan Potter are both going there. Ali owled me, and made the suggestion and I think its a good idea. I can room with her, and go to school out there and everything."   
  
"Reagan I don't know," Ginny said, looking back at the parchment. "Harry what do you think?"   
  
"Honestly, Gin?" he asked. "I think it might be a good idea."   
  
"Harry!"   
  
"Well think about it, Ginny," Harry began. "She can go to school, live with someone she knows, the Potter's place isn't so far away from this school, so she would have help is she needed it."   
  
"But its in America, Harry," Ginny said. "Its another country, on the other side of the ocean, on the other side of the world for Merlin's sake!"   
  
"Ginny, if I had had this option when I got out of Hogwarts, I would have taken it," Harry said. "But I didn't. I had a war to fight and I had you. I wasn't about to leave either of them. Think about it, Ginny. No one will know her, no one will know me. She can have a chance to learn and do what she wants."   
  
"It just seems so far," Ginny said. "But if this is really what you want to do..."   
  
"It is, Mum," Reagan replied. "I need this. I need to get away, from everything. Some things here are still too upsetting."   
  
Ginny nodded and smiled at her daughter. "You are much more independent that I ever was."   
  
"Nonsense," Reagan replied. "I had to get if from somewhere."   
  
Ginny smiled. "If this will make you happy, then you have my permission."   
  
"Thank you, Mum," Reagan said and hugged her mother.   
  
"You weren't really asking for our permission, were you?" Harry asked.   
  
"Not really," Reagan said.   
  
"Well thanks for letting us think you were," Harry said. "We like to pretend that we are still in control sometimes."   
  
Reagan laughed and hugged her father, and Harry's eyes swelled with tears. It meant a lot to him to see his daughter happy again, and if it took sending her to a school in America for four years then he'd make sure it happened.   
  
_ A/N: I'd say we're off to a good start.   
  
This story begins when Reagan Potter is 22 years old. Now it will be a Harry Potter fan fic, and it will also be a continuance of the stories I have already written. However, due to Reagan's age, it might be a little more mature. I'm keeping the rating PG for now, but if something comes up in a later chapter, I will place a new rating on that individual chapter. But be warned. Reagan is an adult. With adult feelings, emotions, and ideas.   
  
_


	2. Chapter One: All Grown Up

**Chapter One: All Grown Up **  
  
_ Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.   
  
_ Reagan sat in her last exam, staring at the clock on the wall. Her last week of finals of her college education was over, well almost. She still had thirteen minutes left. She sat with the other students in her class, all staring at the front of the room. Their final was to sit through an entire class, without doing any magic, no talking, they could write if they wanted to, but Reagan's hand hurt from her previous exams that she didn't want t move.   
  
Someone in the back coughed, and their professor looked up from his desk.   
  
"No noise!" he exclaimed and made a mark on the chalkboard behind him. There were many other marks, as he made one each time there was a noise in the room. Reagan rolled her eyes. Professor June was a hard case. He had stern features, and a pointed nose that didn't hold his square glasses on his face very well. He was young, but definitely older than they all were.   
  
The hands on the clock moved slowly, slow enough that Reagan was convinced that he had bewitched it. She checked her watch and was disappointed to see that both timepieces were working fine.   
  
So she settled back in her chair to wait the last ten minutes of her college career.   
  
Reagan was glad when Allison Potter had written to her during her sixth year at Hogwarts, suggesting that she come to America to further her magical education. In Britain it wasn't common for students to continue with school after they finished at Hogwarts. Her Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron had gone to a Magical University for a year, and that was all the training that they needed.   
  
But Reagan wanted to do something that required more training, more learning. And she was Reagan Potter, she could do whatever she wanted to. She told her parents that she wanted to go to school in America after she finished at Hogwarts and they reluctantly agreed.   
  
So a few months after her last day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she packed up a few things that she could not live without, mostly pictures and mementoes, and said goodbye to her parents at the Kings Cross Distance Jumper Station.   
  
Her first days at Stanford University of Magic were incredible. No one knew who she was, no one knew who her father was. No one knew she had offers from four professional Quidditch teams to start for them, no one knew her brother was a professional Quidditch player. No one knew she was a very powerful witch, no one expected her to do well or rolled their eyes when she answered a question correctly. She didn't feel obligated to answer all the questions, or do her homework early, or spend extra time ready on things she wasn't studying because it was interesting. And no one knew that her best friend had died when she was fifteen.   
  
An image flashed before Reagan's eyes and she looked down quickly. Josie's death still brought tears to her eyes, if she allowed it to. The years after her death were hard. Going back to Hogwarts was hard. Seeing Cal was hard. It got better, but there was not a day that went by that Reagan didn't think about it. For the first few months of her fifth year she avoided the staircase where Josie had fallen, convinced that the blood will still be there.   
  
She did have outlets for her frustration and pain. Her Quidditch skills improved, if that was at all possible, she was at a professional level when she was thirteen. She and Cal became closer, but Cal was never the same either. He was heartbroken, maybe even more than Reagan was because he felt a bit differently about Josie than Reagan did.   
  
Reagan's love life suffered a bit. She had Trevor, but he was always her substitution for a boyfriend, never actually her boyfriend. She always enjoyed kissing him, and cuddling with him, and she knew she cared for him, but in the end she was afraid to love him.   
  
She never even told him that she was leaving England. After he left Hogwarts, he started his medi-wizard training during the summer, and began working at St. Mungo's the same time she went back to school. She hardly saw him that summer, and they kept in touch through letters during the year, but it wasn't the same as having him there with her.   
  
She was Head Girl her seventh year, and captain of the Quidditch team. She left Hogwarts with honors in just about everything. The summer after her seventh year was hard, especially around Trevor. She didn't know how to tell him she was leaving, and put it off and put it off until the day she left. She wrote him an owl that simply said, _"Please know that underneath everything I do, you matter most. Please don't be mad for what I am about to do. I just need time away, from everything." _  
  
She never got a response back.   
  
"Miss Potter!" Professor June cried and she snapped out of her thoughts. The room was empty and Professor June was standing by the door with a stack of papers under his arms. "Are you planning on sleeping in the classroom?"   
  
"Sorry, Professor," Reagan replied, getting up. "Have a nice summer."   
  
"Indeed," he said as she passed him.   
  
Reagan hurried out of the building, and made towards her apartment she shared with her cousin, Allison Potter. Ali was related to her on her father's side, and they had met when they were both eleven. Reagan had traveled to America with her family to meet the American Potters that her father had learned about only weeks prior to their trip.   
  
"Did you fall asleep in June's again?" Ali asked as Reagan came into apartment.   
  
"Not exactly," she replied, dropping her bag. "How'd you know?"   
  
"Because you're always late when you fall asleep in his class," Ali replied.   
  
"I wasn't sleeping," Reagan said. "I was just thinking."   
  
"Ah," Ali said. "Thinking, sleeping, same thing. Either way you were oblivious to the rest of the class leaving, correct?"   
  
"Yes," Reagan admitted. "How was your last final?"   
  
"Same as all the others," Ali said, looking back at her book. "You've had an owl, its on the counter."   
  
"Dad," Reagan said and picked up the folded parchment.   
  
"Its still creepy when you do that, you know," Ali said.   
  
"I can't help it," Reagan replied, reading the letter. "Why is he writing me with the same information he sent me yesterday and the day before?"   
  
"Maybe he nervous," Ali said. "You haven't been home in four years, Reagan."   
  
"True," she replied and refolded the note. "Are you packed?"   
  
"Yup," Ali said. "Dad's coming tomorrow to get this-" (she patted the couch she was sitting on) "- and we're going to zap all my boxes to the house. You?"   
  
"Same, but I'm shrinking most of my stuff," Reagan said. "I'm going to take a nap."   
  
Ali nodded and continued in her book. Reagan made her way to her room in the back of the apartment and sat down on the bed. The few bits of furniture she owned, her dresser, desk, chair and bed, she was going to shrink and pack with all her other stuff. Most of her stuff was packed. All her pictures, all her clothes, books, papers and notes, she was bringing everything back with her.   
  
She was a bit nervous to go home. Would it be weird? She had picked up some of the American slang, "zap" for instance, was an easy way of saying Apparate of Disapparate. She was excited to see everyone. Both James and Darenn had gotten married while she was still in school, so she hadn't missed anyone's wedding, but both of her brothers were now fathers and she did miss the births of her nephews and niece.   
  
Reagan sighed and fell back onto her pillow. She had needed to get away, to find herself and be on her own. Her parents paid for her tuition, but she paid her own rent. She held down a part time job while attending full time classes for two majors. It would be weird to not be in class, but it was just the next step for her.   
  
Before she knew it, she had dozed off, and thats how Ali found her when she came in, wanting to know if she was hungry or not.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Ever since her first trip on a Distance Jumper, she had always enjoyed them. She had finally gone to a Muggle amusement park with Ali and another cousin, Ryan Potter, and she found the sensations she felt on roller coaster to be the same as Apparating, traveling by Floo Powder and Distance Jumpers.   
  
"Welcome to Britain," the Jumper attendant said and Reagan followed the other passengers out of the Jumper. She stepped out of the goo and made her way past security, and saw her father's aged face beaming at her.   
  
"Hi Dad," she said grinning, and put her arms around him.   
  
"Hi Reagan," he replied and hugged her back. "Welcome back."   
  
"Thanks Dad," Reagan sighed. "You don't look any different."   
  
Harry laughed. "Liar. Those monsters I have for grandchildren have added more lines to my face and more gray hairs on my head."   
  
"Darenn and James claim they are perfect angels," Reagan said, and they began to walk towards the door, Harry carrying her trunk.   
  
"Monsters, angels, they're all the same after a while," Harry said. "They start out sweet, cute and quiet as babies, and then they start to walk and want to ride with Grandpa Harry on the broom."   
  
"Well, they can ride with Auntie Reagan now," Reagan said.   
  
"Yes they can," he replied. "Over and over and over and over and over and over till you've had enough and they want to keep going."   
  
"Are you that old, Dad?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Yes, I am," he laughed.   
  
"Dad where are going?" she asked.   
  
"The Floo... Oh wait, I forgot you can Apparate now," her father admitted.   
  
"Twenty two, Dad," Reagan said. "I've been able to Apparate for five years now."   
  
"I know," he replied. "The past four just seem like they didn't happen is all."   
  
"I know what you mean," Reagan replied. "But they did. And I am a fully qualified, fully trained and fully educated witch now, Dad. I could hex you with something you've never heard of and I wouldn't get caught because they couldn't trace it back to my wand."   
  
"Really?" Harry asked, a bit interested. "They taught you that?"   
  
"No, they taught us how to make up spells like that," Reagan replied. "I wouldn't hex you, Dad. The point is I'm a grown up, and have been for four years."   
  
"Point taken," Harry said. "After you then."   
  
"Has home changed at all?" Reagan asked. "I don't want to zap over and run into anything."   
  
"Different wards is all," Harry said. "Best to, um, zap onto the lawn."   
  
Reagan giggled. "Sorry, American slang I picked up."   
  
"I bet there are a few things you picked up," Harry said to her. "Are you going to zap away or not?"   
  
"I will if you don't use 'zap' ever again."   
  
"Deal," he said.   
  
Reagan nodded and with a soft POP! she disappeared from the train station and appeared on the lawn of her house.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Her room hadn't changed at all. It had been cleaned many times since she left, but Reagan had expected that. Everything was in its place, with the exception of her bed, she had taken that with her to America. She lifted Vira's cage onto her desk, and laid her cloak across the back of her chair.   
  
"Here is your trunk, dear," her father said, carrying her trunk into the room. "Is this all you have?"   
  
"I shrunk most things," Reagan replied. "I'm not going to unpack all that much, just what I need. I think I'll start to look for a place of my own tomorrow."   
  
The look on her father's face was a bit hurt, but he nodded. She crossed the room and put her arms around him, pinning his arms to his sides.   
  
"Dad, if you had just returned from college, after living in your own place for four years, would you want to stay in your parent's house for very long?"   
  
"Well actually-"   
  
"Okay, stay at Mum's parent's house?"   
  
"Probably not," Harry admitted. "We've just missed you, Reagan. We don't want to loose you again."   
  
"You not loosing me, and you didn't loose me before," she replied and let him go. "I'll be in the same country now, just closer to work is all. James and Darenn live away from home."   
  
"They're both married and have children."   
  
"Would you like me to be married and have children?" she asked.   
  
He smiled at her. "Reagan I want you to do whatever it takes to make you happy."   
  
"Honestly?"   
  
"Of course," he replied. They both grinned at each other and felt the floor beneath them shake a bit.   
  
"Did we...?"   
  
"No, that wasn't us, thats Darenn and James, with their monsters," Harry replied. "Come on, they'll want to see how grown up with ickle sister is."   
  
Reagan sighed and followed her father down the stairs.   
  
"Reagan!" James cried and crossed the room, taking her in a tight embrace.   
  
"Hi James," she said, hugging her brother back. He stepped back and his eyes got big.   
  
"Darenn!" he called. "Come look, Reagan's all grown up!"   
  
"I'm not going to believe it till I see it!" Darenn's voice came from down the hall. As he stepped into view, his eyes got big too.   
  
"When did you grow up?" Darenn teased, hugging his sister.   
  
"Apparently about the same time you did," Reagan replied. "I want to see these nephews and niece of mine."   
  
"Come on then," James said and they walked back down the hall into the living room. Three young children were jumping up and down at Harry's feet, and he was holding a broom high over his head.   
  
"Dad quit teasing them," James said. "Bradden come here."   
  
A little dark haired boy turned and looked at his father, and pointed to the broom in his grandfather's hands.   
  
"Boom, boom!!" he cried.   
  
"Come here," James repeated and Bradden came towards his father. James bent down to his son's level and picked him up.   
  
"Brad, I want you to meet your Auntie Reagan," James said.   
  
"Hi Brad," Reagan said to him.   
  
Brad smiled and cried, "Boom boom!!" He frantically pointed to the broom Harry was holding.   
  
"Brad how old are you?" James asked.   
  
"Boom!" the little boy pleaded.   
  
"Tell Auntie Reagan how old you are and maybe she'll take you up on her broom," James said.   
  
"I tooooo," Brad said seriously and nodded, showing her two of his fingers.   
  
"You're two?" Reagan asked. "You're quite a big boy then?"   
  
Brad nodded and pointed to himself and then at the broom. "Boom boom boom!!"   
  
"Brad who's that?" James asked, pointing to Darenn.   
  
"Boom!" Brad cried pointing at Darenn and wiggled even more. "Boom boom!!"   
  
Reagan laughed. "This family has something with being addicted to flying."   
  
"Its genetic," Harry said, picking up the little girl at his feet. "Well, Miss Bianca, do you want the broom too?"   
  
The little girl had bright red hair, and green eyes and had a pacifier in her mouth. But she squealed and reached for the broom all the same.   
  
"This is Bianca," Darenn said to Reagan, taking his daughter from his father. "And this," he motioned for the last little boy to come to him, "is David."   
  
"Hi David," Reagan said, bending down to his level.   
  
"Fly on bwoom?" David asked.   
  
"Maybe later," Darenn said. "You've already been flying today."   
  
"Bwoon, Daddy, bwoom!" David whined.   
  
"Can you be good in London?" Darenn asked and David nodded. "Then we'll go back up on the broom again later. Is that fair?"   
  
David nodded and folded his arms.   
  
"We've got to get going," Darenn said to Reagan. "We just stopped by for a moment because we couldn't wait to see you."   
  
"Boom boom?!" Brad cried at Reagan.   
  
"Maybe later," James said to his son. "We're coming back later."   
  
"We'll go fly on the broom later," Reagan said to her nephew and he smiled.   
  
"Boom boom!"   
  
"Yes we know," James said. "Well, Reagan, we're off also. We've got to meet Erika in Diagon Alley."   
  
"Tell her I said hello," Reagan said.   
  
"I will," James replied and kissed his sister's cheek. "You'll see her later though, for diner."   
  
"That will be nice," Reagan said.   
  
"Give Auntie Reagan a kiss," James said to his son and Brad leaned forward, his little lips puckered, and planted a sloppy kiss on Reagan's cheek.   
  
"Me tooo, me tooo!" David cried from the floor and Reagan bent down so he could kiss her also.   
  
"See you later," James said and Disapparated.   
  
"Bye," Darenn said, and he left the room with his two children both still squealing about brooms.   
  
"James has his Dual Apparation license?" Reagan asked.   
  
Darenn does too, but with two of them, it works better using Floo," Harry replied. "Sometimes it pays off being related to the Minister of Magic.   
  
Reagan agreed.   
  
_ A/N: Review please!!  
  
_


	3. Chapter Two: The Line Begins

  
  
**Chapter Two: The Line Begins**   
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. _  
  
The next morning Reagan blinked as she stepped into Diagon Alley. After four years it hadn't changed a bit. She smiled as she took in the familiar sights sounds and smells, glad that college in a different country on the other side of the world hadn't take away the homeliness she felt in London.   
  
She found a seat in the Leaky Cauldron, and sat down to wait for her mum. She was meeting her mother, and they were going to go look together, but first Ginny had to do to a staff meeting that she couldn't get out of. She was a bit early so she flipped through the Daily Prophet, and stirred her tea. She scanned the classified looking for places she could visit today, hoping that one would work out.   
  
"Hmmm," Reagan said to herself, and pulled out a quill, her spoon still stirring her tea. _Two bedroom, living room, dining room, full kitchen, two bath, quaint and off the beaten path... _"Off the beaten path means its way far away."   
  
She read over more of them, muttered a highlighting charm onto her quill and circled one that read, _London, walking distance of Diagon Alley, Ministry of Magic, and all major underground stations. Two Bedroom, two bath, living room, dining room, full kitchen with Muggle hookups available, pets okay..._   
  
"Finding what you're looking for?" a voice asked, and Reagan looked up. There was a tall, built, blond haired wizard standing beside her table, looking at her.   
  
"Yes, I think I did," Reagan said.   
  
"Is this seat taken?" he asked.   
  
"Not yet," Reagan replied. "I mean, I'm meeting my mother, and she's not here yet."   
  
"Mind if I sit down?" he asked.   
  
"Not at all," Reagan replied and the wizard sat down. He was tanned, and had eyes the color of the ocean.   
  
"I'm Brent," he said, extending his hand. "Brent Johnson."   
  
"Reagan Potter," she said and shook his hand. "Its nice to meet you Brent."   
  
"Potter?" he asked. "You wouldn't happen to be related to-"   
  
"Harry Potter? Yes, he's my father," Reagan answered before he could finish.   
  
"Actually I was going to ask if you were related to Darenn Potter," he said.   
  
"Oh," she said. "Sorry, its just a reaction."   
  
"Its okay, your brother did the same thing the first time I met him."   
  
"You know Darenn?" Reagan asked.   
  
"I'm on his team," Brent said.   
  
"Oh! His Quidditch team, you play for the Cannons too?" Reagan asked.   
  
Brent laughed. "Yes, I'm their Seeker. I joined the team two years ago."   
  
Reagan smiled, but didn't mention how she had been offered a position on the Cannon team as well.   
  
"Sorry, I've been out of the country for a while," Reagan said. "It was kind of hard to follow Quidditch."   
  
"But you are a fan of it?" he asked.   
  
"Of course," she replied. "I played at Hogwarts."   
  
"What position?"   
  
"Chaser," she replied.   
  
"I played at my school," he said. "But I went to school in America."   
  
"Which one?"   
  
"Are you familiar with the American wizarding schools?" he asked.   
  
She nodded. "I went to college, and my American cousins go to school out there."   
  
"I went to Pasayten School of Magic," Brent said.   
  
"My cousin Allison went there," Reagan said. "I roomed with her while we were in college."   
  
"I can't say that the name sounds familiar," Brent said.   
  
"Thats all right," Reagan replied. "I don't know everyone that went to Ho  
  
gwarts." "Well, Reagan, how long are you in England for?" he asked.   
  
"The rest of my life, as far as I know," she replied. "I'm going to look for a place of my own before I have to go in for my job orientation."   
  
"Are you free tonight?" he asked.   
  
"As far as I know," she replied.   
  
"Would you like to go to dinner with me?" he asked.   
  
Reagan smiled at him. "Yeah, I would."   
  
"Its a date then," he replied. "I'll owl you with details, but plan on about eight."   
  
"Eight it is," she said.   
  
"It was wonderful to meet you, Reagan," he said. "But I do have someplace I've got to be."   
  
"Oh of course, I don't want to keep you," Reagan said. "I'll look for your owl."   
  
"It should be along shortly," he said. "I will see you tonight then."   
  
"Bye," Reagan said and watched him walk out the door of the Leaky Caldron, into Muggle London.   
  
"He was cute," her mother said to her, and Reagan turned around. Ginny smiled and sat down across from Reagan.   
  
"Yes he was," Reagan replied. "And he asked me out."   
  
"You're back in the country for less than a day and they're already lining up," he mother teased.   
  
"Honestly, Mum," Reagan said. "Here, see what I found." She pushed the newspaper across the table and Ginny looked at the ones she had circled.   
  
"A few of these sound nice," Ginny said. "Are you ready to get going?"   
  
"Yes, definitely," Reagan said and checked her watch. "I have to be at the Ministry of Magic by three o'clock for my orientation tour."   
  
"As if you don't know your way around the Ministry of Magic by now," Ginny replied. "We have enough time though."   
  
"We're supposed to get our employee passes and name tags and security tags and all those other things."   
  
"You know who else works at the Ministry?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Dad, James, Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron, practically our entire family," Reagan replied.   
  
"True," Ginny agreed. "Lane and Trevor work there also."   
  
"That will be nice," Reagan said. "At least I might know someone to have lunch with from time to time."   
  
Ginny frowned at her. "That was the reaction I was expecting you would have."   
  
"Reaction to what?"   
  
"To learning that you and Trevor will both be working at the same place."   
  
"Mum Trevor and I..." Reagan paused, and sighed. "I haven't spoken to Trevor in four years."   
  
"You didn't talk to him the entire time you were in school?" Ginny asked.   
  
Reagan shook her head. "Nope."   
  
"There was something there, Reagan," Ginny said.   
  
"I'm sure there was," Reagan replied. "Was, Mum, was. How and I supposed to know if there still is? Besides, he's probably married with kids now, like everyone else I know."   
  
"Not everyone has children now, Reagan," Ginny said.   
  
"Name one person that didn't have kids when I left but has them now."   
  
"Neither Paul or Ethan have children, or wives," Ginny replied.   
  
"Fair enough," Reagan said.   
  
"Trevor doesn't have any kids and he isn't married," Ginny said. "He was dating a nice girl though, but I haven't seen her in a while."   
  
"And how do you know this Mum?"   
  
"Because," Ginny replied. "I happen to be married to the Commander in Chief of the United British Auror Confederation, and that means every year around Christmas I have to go to a stuffy ball where the only people I know are your father, my brother and the Minister of Magic."   
  
"And why would Trevor be at one of these balls?" Reagan asked.   
  
Ginny looked at her daughter. "Do you know nothing of Trevor?"   
  
"I haven't talked to him in four years," Reagan replied.   
  
Ginny nodded. "When you see him around the Ministry, ask him what he's been up to."   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes, and continued to walk with her mother towards the first flat on her list.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"And this is the Atrium," the tour guide was saying to them. "There are Floo stations on each side, some for departures, some for arrivals. Now if you'd follow me, we're about done getting you all checked in. Lastly is your security badges. These are what get you access to the different parts and files of the Ministry. There are nine security levels, each separated into three color categories. Levels one through three are blue, levels four through six are yellow, and levels seven through nine are red. Now as you are in the Ministry longer and your advance your clearance level will go up. Very few individuals begin with a yellow, or even a red. Reds are mostly Aurors and Department Heads, and of course the Minister of Magic herself, Mrs. Hermione Weasley. Now come along."   
  
Reagan walked with the other people in her group, mostly young and fresh out of Hogwarts. She was bored and felt a bit out of place. She stood in the security badge line, and the witch was checking off names.   
  
"Kierra Melanie," the witch said. "Level one." The employee behind the podium taped the badge with his wand and handed it to the the girl in front of him. Next was Titan Hamley, he got a level one as well. Reagan began to notice that the witch had been right, everyone was getting level ones.   
  
"Hatcher Markey," the witch said and made a check on her parchment. "Level one as well."   
  
The boy in front of Reagan took his badge and went to the other side of the podium, looking at his badge.   
  
"Name please," the witch asked Reagan.   
  
"Reagan Potter."   
  
She scanned down her list and made a check next to her name.   
  
"Reagan Potter," she said to the employee. "Level..." She paused and looked closer at her parchment. "This must be a mistake, give her a level one and we'll get this cleared up."   
  
"What level does it say?" Reagan asked.   
  
"It says level eight dear," the witch says. "But interns and entry level don't get level eight's."   
  
"I don't think I'm an intern or an entry level, though," Reagan said.   
  
"Of course you are dear," the witch said. "No need to be embarrassed about it, everyone starts off down there. It takes time to work your way up. Do you know what department are you going to dear?"   
  
"Experimental Magic," Reagan replied.   
  
"Are you sure dear?" the witch asked. "I wasn't aware they were taking on anymore interns."   
  
"I've already told you, I'm not an intern," Reagan replied. "I've already done my training, I'm a Constructor."   
  
The witch blinked a few times and then looked back at her parchment.   
  
"Oh of course," the witch said. "How silly of me, it says so right here, Reagan Potter, level eight, Department of Experimental Magic, occupation: Constructor."   
  
"Thank you," Reagan said taking her badge from he podium employee, noticing how her's had a bright red star in the corner of it, and everyone else had a blue one.   
  
She went through the remaining registration, basic payroll, wand registration and she got her meal card, though she wasn't planning on eating there very often.   
  
"Now, you are all free to explore the Ministry, get aquatinted with it, as most employers will not accept you getting lost on your first day. Remember to stay within your clearance levels," the witch said to them all. "And welcome to the Ministry of Magic!"   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes and turned on her heel towards her father's office. She already knew her away around the Ministry of Magic.   
  
She smiled to herself at the familiar Auror uniforms as they passed by, knowing they were all in their informal navy uniforms.   
  
She saw James in his uniform, and noted that his rank had gone up one since she had last seen him in uniform. He didn't stay and chat, saying he was on his way to a meeting, and hurried off the opposite direction Reagan was going in.   
  
She got to her father's office and noticed that there were many people in the waiting room. She asked his secretary how long she thought it would be, and she said she's let him know she was here as soon as the meeting he was got over.   
  
Reagan took a seat and reread the note that Brent had sent her earlier in the day:   
  
_ Since you seem to be experienced in the ways of an American, than you would know the Muggle ways as well. Please meet me on the magical side of the Leaky Caldron, and we'll have a night on the town, Muggle style. Eight o'clock. ~Brent.   
  
_ Reagan smiled to herself and tucked her note back into her purse. The meeting inside sounded like it was ending and she looked up at the door.   
  
A few wizards came out, all clad in their blue uniforms, chattering to each other. A witch came out, handed something to the secretary and then doubled back and returned to Harry's office, passing a tall dark haired Auror on her way in.   
  
Reagan watched him. He stood in the doorway reading something, dressed in his navy uniform, the brass of his ranking bars shinning in the artificial sunlight.   
  
"Your father will see you now, Miss Potter," the secretary said to Reagan.   
  
"Thank you," she said and stood up, her eyes still on the Auror in her father's doorway. At the sound of her voice he looked up and locked eyes with Reagan.   
  
"First Lieutenant Daniels," her father said from inside the office and came into Reagan's view. "Would..." but he stopped, seeing Reagan.   
  
"Yes sir?" Trevor said, turning and looking at Harry.   
  
"Give this to Lieutenant Potter when you see him," Harry said, handing a file to him.   
  
"I will sir."   
  
"Reagan, quickly please," Harry called and walked back into his office.   
  
Reagan walked towards the doorway and stopped when she got ot Trevor.   
  
"Hi Trevor," she said.   
  
"Hi," he replied. "Welcome back."   
  
"Thanks."   
  
"How long have you been back?" he asked.   
  
"Since yesterday," she replied.   
  
"I remember James mentioning something to me about you coming home," Trevor said, and shifted his papers. "I'm sure everyone will be happy to have you home."   
  
There was so much she wanted to say to him, but now was not the time or place so she just looked at him.   
  
"It was nice to see you, Trevor," Reagan said. "Maybe I'll see you around."   
  
Trevor nodded. "Maybe."   
  
"Reagan?!" her father called.   
  
"You'd better go," Trevor said. "He's not in a very good mood."   
  
"I know," she replied. "Its probably why I have a headache. Bye Trevor."   
  
"Ah, good byes, those must be a new thing for you," he said coldly, and turned on his heel, he walked out of the office.   
  
"I do have about fifteen other people waiting to talk to me, Reagan," Harry said as she came into the office.   
  
"Sorry, Dad," she said. "I just wanted to say hi." She slumped down in one of the chairs and looked straight ahead. "Trevor hates me, doesn't he?"   
  
"He doesn't hate you," Harry replied form his stack of paperwork. "But you can't blame him for being hurt."   
  
"I tried to tell him," Reagan said. "It was just never the time."   
  
"Reagan he was practically family to you," he said. "You told Cal, you told Lane. He deserved to hear it from your mouth rather than in a owl after you had left."   
  
"Fine, Dad, side with Trevor," Reagan replied and stood up.   
  
"Reagan, I am not siding with anyone," he said. "Nor and I going to sit here and watch you wonder why Trevor was short with you. He's worked his butt off since you've been gone."   
  
"And I haven't?" she asked.   
  
"I didn't say that," Harry said quickly. "You've both worked very hard, harder than most would if they had something like you two used to have."   
  
"Are you saying that Trevor got promoted so much because he was burying himself in work so he could forget about me?"   
  
"Not exactly," he said. "But he has done a lot in four years."   
  
"So have I!" Reagan exclaimed.   
  
"I know you have," he replied. "Talk to him, and you'd be impressed. He's climbed these ranks almost as fast as James did, and his father wasn't even the head of the UBAC."   
  
"I don't want to talk about Trevor anymore," Reagan said. "I have to go and get ready."   
  
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.   
  
Reagan gave him a look that practically dared him to say she couldn't go. "I have a date. With Brent Johnson."   
  
"The Seeker on Darenn's team?"   
  
"Yes," she replied.   
  
"He's pretty good," her father replied.   
  
"Is it a problem?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Reagan I never implied that it was, so stop picking a fight. Just because your reunion with Trevor was not as smooth and wonderful as you've daydreamed about it, doesn't make it my fault and you don't need to take it out on me."   
  
She stared at him, a bit dumbfounded.   
  
"How did-"   
  
"Magical connection remember?" her replied, tapping his head. "I had the weirdest dreams sometimes."   
  
Reagan blushed. "All right, Dad, I'll leave you alone. And I suppose I do owe him an apology."   
  
"Good, go and do it and have fun on your date."   
  
"Thanks Dad," she said and left his office.   
  
"Did you see which way Trevor went?" Reagan asked the secretary.   
  
"I'm sorry dear, who?" she asked.   
  
"First Lieutenant Daniels," Reagan corrected herself.   
  
"He left the office," she said. "I didn't see which way he went though."   
  
"Thats all right," Reagan replied and walked into the hall. She glanced both ways, but she didn't see him in either direction.   
  
Deciding she would talk to him on another day, she went and stood in line for the lift, wondering what she was going to say to him the next time she saw him. Part of her wanted to hug him and beg him to forgive her for leaving and not telling him, but the other part wanted to remain unemotional. They hadn't spoken in four years, surly if either of them had wanted to keep in touch they would have tried.   
  
Then the numerous letters she had always started but never finished popped into her head, and she wondered if Trevor had done the same.   
  
She also realized that both of her parents had told her to talk to Trevor and see what he had been up to in the last four years. She had been a bit surprised to see him in an Auror uniform; she hadn't known he had applied. The last she knew, he was a medi-wizard. She did admit that being a First Lieutenant was an accomplishment, so he must have done something right.   
  
"You still chew on your lip when you're thinking," Trevor said and Reagan jumped. He was standing beside her, but she hadn't seen him come up.   
  
"I guess I do," Reagan said. "Its not like I'm a different person Trevor."   
  
"You sure?" he asked.   
  
"I'm pretty sure," she replied. "Are you any different?"   
  
"Not really, maybe a tad more mature, but thats it," he said.   
  
"More mature?" she asked. "You? I doubt it."   
  
"You'd be surprised," he replied as they stepped onto the lift. "Did you cheer your father up?"   
  
"I don't think so," Reagan said. "I think I annoyed him more."   
  
"Oh I don't think that could be possible," Trevor said. "Besides, he's been in a better mood since you came back."   
  
"Trevor, I've only been back a day," she replied. "How could you have noticed?"   
  
"His mood was better today than it has been in a long while," Trevor said. "Noticeably better."   
  
"And how long have you been working with my father?" Reagan asked.   
  
"A while," he replied. "I had to have some way of knowing how you were doing. Slytherin, remember?"   
  
"Trevor, I-"   
  
"Reagan, I know," he replied. "I understand. It was just hard to deal with at first and...." Trevor stopped and looked at her.   
  
"Is it worth talking about this?" she asked.   
  
"It is, but not right now," he replied. "Do you have plans for the night?"   
  
"Yeah, actually I do," she replied, not wanting to tell him what her plans were. "But I'm free tomorrow."   
  
"Tomorrow will be better," he said. "Are you staying at your parents?"   
  
"I actually just found a place today that I'm going to move into," Reagan said. "I can move in whenever I want."   
  
"Can you cook?" he asked.   
  
Reagan shook her head. "Nope, but I can order food well."   
  
"Its all right, I can cook," he replied. "How about I cook you dinner in your new place?"   
  
"That sounds nice," she said.   
  
"Good," he said. "I am glad you're back, Reagan."   
  
"Its nice to be back," she replied.   
  
"I've got to get this to your brother," Trevor said. "So send me an owl, and let me know where and what time and what you want to eat."   
  
"All right," Reagan replied.   
  
"This is my floor," he said. "Bye Reagan."   
  
"Bye," she said and the lift doors closed. Reagan sighed and rode the lift back to the Atrium.   
  
"You've been back for one day and you already have two dates lines up," she said to herself as she made her way to the Apparation points. "Mum was right, they are lining up."   
  
_ A/N: There is no Department of Experimental Magic, I made that up, but there is a Committee of Experimental Charms, but it hasn't said where it is. So I made up my own department. It also never says where administrative offices are, it is just assumed that they are on level one. So thats were I put them. It also says that Auror training takes three years, but I felt that was too long. So its three months in my universe. All the information I got was from The Harry Potter Lexicon.   
  
_


	4. Chapter Three: What She Should Have Done

  
  
**Chapter Three: What She Should Have Done**   
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
A/N: I love making people fight. Its great to imagine it in my head. There isn't as much as I wanted, because they had to get emotional and serious, but oh well. Enjoy.   
  
_   
  
"So how was your date?" Ginny asked Reagan. Reagan waved her wand and her miniature bed grew into its full size.   
  
"It was actually very nice," Reagan replied. "Do you like the bed there?"   
  
"It looks all right," her mother replied. "What did you two go and do?"   
  
"We went into Muggle London, and saw a movie and went to a nice diner," Reagan said. "I don't know, I think I might get a new one, a bigger one. This one seems a bit young."   
  
"You have had the same bed since you started Hogwarts," Ginny replied. "What movie did you see?"   
  
"Some romance comedy," Reagan replied. "I picked it and he insisted he wanted to see it. I think I will get a new bed. But for now we'll just change this one up a bit." She waved her wand and the bed grew from a full size into a queen.   
  
"How long will it last?" Ginny asked.   
  
"A week or so," Reagan replied. "Just until I have a chance to get a new one."   
  
"No, I meant this you and Brent thing," Ginny asked.   
  
"Oh, well we had a nice time," Reagan replied. "He's very nice, and he's funny, and good looking too."   
  
"He doesn't sound all that bad."   
  
"He's actually quite wonderful," Reagan sighed. "I felt bad yesterday when Trevor asked if I was busy and I had to tell him I was. And then I felt bad when Brent asked if I was busy tonight and I had to tell him I was."   
  
"You can't juggle two men at once, dear," Ginny said.   
  
"I'm not juggling two men," Reagan replied. "I'm not dating Trevor, we're just friends. Just like... just like we've always been." Reagan pulled her dresser out of the box and enlarged it as well. "Besides, its not like I did anything wrong."   
  
"No one said that you did," Ginny said.   
  
Reagan laughed. "Only the guilty accuse, right?"   
  
"You said it," Ginny said, handing her the bed pillows. Reagan took them and tossed them onto the bed.   
  
"Mum, I don't want to talk about Brent and Trevor anymore," Reagan said. "It hurts my head and I'm hungry."   
  
"Hello?!" Darenn called from the front door.   
  
"Back here!" Reagan called. "You can come in!" She made her way to the front of her new apartment, stepping over open boxes.   
  
"It looks a bit like a war zone, Reagan," Darenn said.   
  
"And you know what a war zone looks like?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Have you seen the Cannon locker room?" he asked. "Its a war zone."   
  
"How was practice, Darenn?" Ginny asked.   
  
"It was fine," he replied. "Same as usual. Except our Seeker went on and on and on about this girl he took out last night."   
  
"Really?" Reagan replied, not wanting to seem to interested.   
  
"Said she was fun and beautiful and he asked me why I had never introduced him to you before."   
  
"Well I've been in California for four years," Reagan replied.   
  
"Thats what I told him," Darenn said. "But there was reason why I never mentioned you to him. Be careful with Brent Johnson, Reagan."   
  
"I can handle myself, thank you," she replied.   
  
"Oh I don't doubt that," Darenn said. "Just be careful."   
  
"I will," Reagan said. "And thanks for the brotherly protection. Did you tell him not to hurt me?"   
  
"Of course I did," Darenn said. "Hey its my job to protect you, no matter how old you get. I told the same thing to Trevor when we were at Hogwarts as well."   
  
"No more Trevor!" Reagan exclaimed, throwing her hands up. She grabbed an open box and walked into the kitchen. "Can we not talk about Trevor for a few minutes, please?"   
  
"Whats with her?" Darenn asked his mother.   
  
"She doesn't want to talk about Trevor anymore," Ginny replied. "I think we're going to hear and see a lot of Brent for a while."   
  
"Great," Darenn said. "Brent I can stand, mainly because I have to, but at least I _liked_ Trevor."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Later that evening, Reagan was still unpacking. She had acquired quite a few things from her four year stay in America. Ali was moving back in with her parents for a while, so she let Reagan return to England with anything she wanted or thought she might need.   
  
Reagan opened a box and took off the cushioning charm she put on the dishes inside.   
  
"I'm glad I found these," she said to herself. "We would have a hard time eating later without any dishes."   
  
The remainder of the box was pots, pans and other cooking dishes. She set these items on the stove, deciding she would put them away later, and moved to another box.   
  
Reagan opened it with a Searing Charm, and the packing bubbles began to float out. She waved her hand and muttered "Finite" and they popped.   
  
"Do you always do wandless magic?" Trevor asked, and Reagan jumped.   
  
"Trevor!" she breathed. "Don't do that!"   
  
"Sorry," he said. "I knocked, and it swung open. You should get it checked."   
  
"My father is coming over tomorrow to put wards over the entire place," Reagan replied, standing up. "You're early."   
  
"You weren't that hard to find," he replied. "I stopped and bought diner, or at least the stuff we need to make diner."   
  
Reagan noticed the bags he was holding, and the two that were floating along behind them.   
  
"Here," she said reaching for the the floating bags. She carried them into the kitchen. After he set his bags down, he tossed his black cloak onto the back of a chair, and she noticed his Muggle clothes, jeans and a gray sweater. His hair was also different than it was the day before at the Ministry. At Hogwarts, it had always been shorter, a bit more clean cut, like it was at the Ministry, but now it was longer, it had some wave and curl in it. And it looked like he put gel into it.   
  
"Whats for dinner?" she asked.   
  
"Spaghetti," he said. "Garlic bread, salad and fresh cut corn."   
  
"Sounds good," she replied. "Can I help?"   
  
"No, you can sit there and watch me cook and tell me about America."   
  
Reagan laughed, and took a seat on the counter.   
  
"What do you want to know about it?"   
  
"Everything," he replied. "The culture, the food, the people, everything you did. I haven't heard anything from you in four years, I want to know what was going on during all the time."   
  
Reagan smiled. "All right."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Hours later their meals were finished, they had moved to the table, and their conversation moved from what Reagan had done in America to what they both were doing now.   
  
"So you're an Auror," Reagan said.   
  
"Yeah," he replied.   
  
"How did that come about?" she asked. "Last I remember you were at St. Mungos."   
  
"I was," he replied. "I finished my medical training, and I'm a certified medi-wizard. I worked at St. Mungos for a while, mostly in curse reversal. And I decided, quite out of the blue actually, that my knowledge and skills could be beneficial to the UBAC."   
  
"So you enlisted," Reagan said knowing that UBAC was short for the United British Auror Confederation.   
  
"Sort of," he replied. "As I'm sure you know, if you go straight into the Auror Division without any previous training in anything, you start off at the bottom, as a Private. Well, I went and talked to the Auror recruiter, and while I was talking to him, James walked in. James of course knew about my Animagus abilities, and mentioned the Animagents to me. So I went through Auror training, but I went in as Educated, so I started off as a Corporal, three above Private."   
  
"And you still managed to work your way up four ranks in four years?" Reagan asked. "Thats a rank a year."   
  
"I was a natural leader, I was good at what I did, and worked hard," he said. "I didn't get promoted because I knew your father, if thats what your thinking."   
  
"I didn't think that," Reagan replied.   
  
"Good," he said.   
  
"So what is it that you do?" she asked.   
  
"I am on the medical team of the Auror Division," he replied. "I'm the medical advisor to Captain Potter, your father, and also his cabinet's medical advisor. I'm the Commanding Officer of the Field Healing unit. I am also on the Animagent unit."   
  
"Thats incredible, Trevor," Reagan replied, feeling a bit impressed.   
  
"Its all right," Trevor shrugged and laughed. "About a year and a half ago, when I became the CO, a bunch of healing journals and publications wanted interviews and article rights and all sorts of things. I did a few, but only because it was fun."   
  
"You're a ranking Auror, a medi-wizard, Commanding Officer, advisor to two political entities, an Animagents, and a published Healer." Reagan stopped. She realized why both parents had been so eager for her to talk to him.   
  
"Its nothing really," Trevor said. "I just do what I do because I enjoy it. Healing is interesting, especially curses and jinxes, the really horrible ones. Being out in it, out in the field, its just amazing."   
  
"Its understandable," Reagan replied. "I do what I do because I like it."   
  
"What do you do?" he asked and laughed. "It must be something cool to get a shiny red star on your ID badge."   
  
Reagan laughed. "I work in the Division of Experimental Magic. I'm a Constructor. I make up spells and charms, and I can break them down."   
  
"That is cool."   
  
"Its really not," Reagan replied. "Its a lot of imagination, and knowledge of magic and how spells work. A lot of Arithmancy, basically."   
  
"That is so cool, Reagan," Trevor said. "Is that what those bubbles were?"   
  
"Oh, the Packing Bubbles? Yeah, Muggles have bubble wrap to help cushion things with, thats where I got the idea."   
  
"You made that up?" he asked.   
  
"Yeah," she replied. "That was one of the first ones I made up. It took me forever. But its not as hard anymore."   
  
"Do something," he said. "Right now, make something up."   
  
"With or without my wand?"   
  
"Without," he said.   
  
"What do you want?" she asked, and he didn't say anything. He just looked at her.   
  
"I want... ice," he said.   
  
"Ice?"   
  
"Yeah, ice."   
  
"With or without a spell?"   
  
"Which ever."   
  
Reagan's first thought was to turn her mouth cold and kiss him, but she didn't think that would be a good idea. But she had another.   
  
"Close you eyes," she instructed and he did. And she turned his mouth cold. "Breath in through your mouth."   
  
"Whoa," he said as he took a breath. She smiled at him.   
  
"Impressed?" she asked, in a teasing way.   
  
"Very," he replied.   
  
"Don't be," she replied and waved her hand, removing the charm. "Its a lot of reading and a lot of practical application and a lot of late nights submerged in books."   
  
"So you're a Constructor," he said.   
  
"I graduated with a major in Magical Ability, and Spells and Charm work, with minors in Dark Magic, and Magical Architecture."   
  
"Thats a lot," he said.   
  
"I am also the new Magical advisor to the Animagents Unit," she said.   
  
"Are you trying to impress me?" he asked.   
  
She grinned. "Not at all."   
  
"Well you did."   
  
"You impressed me too," she said. "You've been busy."   
  
"I had to have something to take my mind off of..." he paused and looked at her, "... well off of things I didn't want to think about."   
  
Reagan looked at her plate. "Trevor, I'm sorry. I... You were the one person I couldn't say good bye to."   
  
"That makes sense," he said in a tone that meant he didn't believe it.   
  
"What did you want me to do?" she asked.   
  
"Say good bye? Tell me in person that you were leaving, not have me find out in a owl alone at my aunt's house."   
  
"And have me break down crying?" she asked. "I couldn't do that."   
  
"Do what Reagan?" Trevor asked. "Show that you actually cared?"   
  
She didn't say anything, and tears threatened to spill over. She had been avoiding this since she left. She didn't want to talk about this.   
  
"I know you did," he said. "I know you cared."   
  
"Trevor, did you notice that my last three years at Hogwarts were a big hard?" she asked, blinking back her tears. "Did you notice that the last person I admitted to caring about died? Did you know that I knew what was going to happen? I knew, Trevor, I knew Josie was going to die. I knew how, I knew where, and I even knew when. I just... I just ignored my gut instinct." Tears were flowing wildly now. She was not over her best friend's death, no matter what she told herself.   
  
"Reagan, there was no way you could have known," Trevor said.   
  
"I did," she said through her tears. "I had a dream about it, and then it happened. I knew. I just didn't want to admit it could happen. And if... if I admit that I cared about you, then you would die too."   
  
"Did you have any bad dreams about me?" Trevor asked. "Did you see me dying?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Then there would be no reason for you to think I might die."   
  
"Trevor, you don't understand," Reagan said, wiping her eyes. "You don't know. You didn't see her die in your dreams the entire school year before she did. You didn't hear her scream in your every night and see her face like that, before and after she was dead."   
  
"You didn't kill her, Reagan," Trevor said.   
  
"I... I know I didn't," she said. "But I could have stopped it."   
  
"No you couldn't," he said. "You can't stop someone from dying if its their time to go."   
  
"Have you ever lost someone close to you?" she asked. "Have you ever lost your best friend?"   
  
"Yeah, Reagan, I have," he said, looking at her seriously. "I lost you. Suddenly you were gone, and there was nothing I could do about it."   
  
Reagan didn't know what to say. She just stared at him.   
  
"I think I should go," he said finally and stood up. He took both their dishes to the sink and stopped, standing with his back to her. She didn't know what to do. She could hear him breathing, a bit irregular and shallow, but he was forcing it under control.   
  
She stood up, walked over to him, and pulled him to her. Wrapping her arms around him, she hugged him, and cried into his shoulder. He put his arms around her and laid his head on her's, his eyes closed.   
  
"Trevor, I meant it when I said you were the most important thing to me," she whispered. "And I know we had something before I left. I don't know what it was, what it could have been, or if it could happen again. But I need you as a friend, Trevor."   
  
He pulled away from her and looked at her, their face inches from each other. She looked into his eyes, remembering their color, then to his lips, wanting so badly to kiss him. He was slowly moving closer, closing the gap between them. She didn't break her eye contact with him, half wanting him to kiss her, half wanting him to stop. Her knees got weak, like they had the very first time he had kissed her, eight years ago. Apparently he was thinking the same thing because he whispered,   
  
"You know, when I did this eight years ago, it didn't change anything between us. Do you think it would change anything now?"   
  
Reagan blinked. "I don't know," she said finally. "Things are different now. We're quite a bit older than we were before."   
  
"True," he   
  
agreed. "Do you want to find out?"   
  
"I... I don't think we should."   
  
"Probably not," he said, but didn't move.   
  
Finally she gave in and melted into him, locking her lips with his. And she remembered. She remembered what kissing him was like, she remembered the way he smelled, the way he felt, though now he was taller and a bit more muscular, but he still felt the same. Her hands found his hair, remembering how soft his hair was, how perfect the nape of his neck was. She remembered the way he tasted, the way he kissed her, the way he made her feel so incredibly special and wanted just by holding her close to him and...   
  
Or thats whats she should have done.   
  
"You're right," he said and she blinked a few times, realizing that it wasn't real, that she hadn't just kissed him. He took a step back and turned towards the door.   
  
"Do you have plans tomorrow night?" she asked. Her next date with Brent wasn't until Tuesday, and tomorrow was Monday.   
  
"Yeah, actually I do," he said, pulling his cloak over his sweater. "I have to work."   
  
"At night?"   
  
"Its a field excursive."   
  
Reagan nodded. "So I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow?"   
  
"Yeah, I guess so," he said.   
  
"Trevor," she said and walked to him in the doorway. "I want us to be friends."   
  
"I know," he said. "I guess thats all we ever were, all we'll ever be. And I can deal with that. Having you as a friend is better than not having you at all." He leaned towards her and kissed her forehead. "Have a nice night, Reagan."   
  
She nodded again and he walked out her door and Disapparated away.   
  
_ A/N: Review please!! _   
  



	5. Chapter Four: The Scatterbrained Advisor

  
  
**Chapter Four: The Scatterbrained Advisor**   
  
  
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
  
  
A/N: As I promised, I am placing a warning on this chapter. The contents of this chapter contains alcohol consumption by two of the main characters, and I want to make sure that everyone is warned ahead of time. Nothing bad happens and they don't become intoxicated, but if anyone younger than 21 is reading this, both of these characters are over the legal drinking age, so it is perfectly legal for them to do this. Please only drink if you are over the age of 21 (in the States) and please drink responsibility. End of public service announcement and on to the story!!!_  
  
  
  
Reagan looked for Trevor every day after that, and nearly a month passed by with out seeing him in the halls of the Ministry of Magic. Each weekday morning she would Apparate into the Atrium and passed through the security gates, taking the lift to the Department of Experimental Magic, where she sat ot her desk and continued to work through the mountain of things that needed to be done.   
  
And one particular morning, Reagan was pleasantly surprised by a large bouquet of white and red roses sitting on her desk. She ignored the looks from her coworkers and pulled the card out of its envelope.   
  
_ A month ago we met and because of it my life will never be the same. ~Brent _  
  
Reagan smiled as she read the card and tucked it into her purse.   
  
"Those are beautiful," Taryn said, and Reagan nodded at her. Taryn was two years younger than Reagan, and had been in Ravenclaw. She came to the Department of Experimental Magic straight out of Hogwarts, and had been the only friendly face on Reagan's first day. Everyone else in their department was a bit older than they were.   
  
"Brent sent them," Reagan grinned. "We met a month ago today."   
  
"Awww, thats so sweet!" Taryn replied, sweeping her blond hair off her shoulders and readjusting her papers. "Do you two have plans for tonight?"   
  
"No," Reagan sighed. "He's in Wales for a game."   
  
"Why don't you go and surprise him?"   
  
"Because he isn't very fun after games," she replied. "He's too intense, and if they win, he tends to repeat the game to me, play by play, but only his plays."   
  
"Well he's cute enough," Taryn replied. "And those flowers are beautiful. It took five delivery owls to get then in here."   
  
"Figures," Reagan said. "Brent has a way of over doing some things." She moved the flowers to the window sill, clearing off an area to work on her desk. "How did McGuyerson like the new draft?"   
  
Taryn rolled her eyes, and Reagan knew what that meant. Donald McGuyerson was the head of their department and he was a wiry old wizard who wanted things done his way. Taryn and Reagan had been working on a new anti theft ward, and McGuyerson was still adamant that the one he had created thirty years ago was still working fine.   
  
"He grumbled when I handed it to him, and then some more as he looked over it. In the end he said you were "making progress," Taryn explained. "_You_, not us."   
  
"Well if he wants to ignore that you've been working on this with me, than he can," Reagan said. "It will just be a shock for him when its both our names on the patent."   
  
Taryn smiled gratefully and Reagan knew why. Taryn had come straight out of Hogwarts into the Department and had no training what so ever. There were two ways to become a Constructor. One was the way Reagan had done it, go to school. And the other took longer, but it was what Taryn was doing. Learn it first hand from someone else. Taryn had been in the department for two years when Reagan had got here and she was still treated like a fresh intern. She had not assisted on any Constructor cases but she was very capable. Reagan saw this in her and immediately asked her to assist her.   
  
"Well, we need to map it a bit more, and then we'll need to control test it," Reagan said, looking back at the parchment.   
  
"Do you want me to book the test room?" Taryn asked.   
  
"See whats available," Reagan said. "That way we'll have a deadline to work towards."   
  
"I'll send a memo down there right now," Taryn said and stood up.   
  
"Did he say anything else?" Reagan asked. "Did McGuyerson mention anything else about it, any other comments?"   
  
"A lot of grumbling," Taryn replied. "I did have to step away for a moment because an Auror came in."   
  
"An Auror?" Reagan asked and looked up. "Who?"   
  
"He didn't say his name, he just asked what Constructors were here. I told him that everyone had left for the weekend and he said thank you and left."   
  
"What did he look like?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Tall, dark hair, looked a bit familiar, had a silver bar on his shoulder."   
  
Reagan closed her eyes. "It was Trevor Daniels."   
  
"Trevor Daniels?" Taryn asked. "That Slytherin you were dating at Hogwarts?"   
  
"Yes, and for the record we were just friends," Reagan said.   
  
"Could have been him, I guess," she replied. "You know for being a Ravenclaw, I have a horrible memory for some things. Its a good thing I never tried to be an Animagus, or I'd forget to change back into a human."   
  
"Animagus?" Reagan asked and looked at her watch. "You cleared my schedule for the next two hours, right?"   
  
"Yes I did," Taryn replied as Reagan jumped up. "Why? Whats wrong?"   
  
"I'm going to be late for a meeting!" Reagan cried as she grabbed a navy blue notebook from her bag. "See you later!"   
  
"And I'm the scatterbrained one," Taryn said to herself.   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
  
"Come on, come on," Reagan muttered to herself, watching the dial on the lift as it went higher. She was late for an Animagent meeting, which were being held in one of the court rooms. It was one of the only places in the Ministry that was large enough to hold then entire Animagent unit.   
  
The doors opened on level three and two wizards got onto the lift and rode it to level four, talking about memory charms. At level six the young wizard got off, looking more nervous than he had when she first got onto the lift.   
  
"Hold the lift!" a voice cried and Reagan stuck her arm out to stop the closing doors. And to her surprise a hurried looking Trevor came onto the lift, shuffling papers.   
  
"Thank you," he said and looked up at her, and the look on his face matched how she was feeling.   
  
"You're welcome," she said and the lift continued upward. "Are you late for something?"   
  
"The Animagent meeting," he replied, attempting to straighten his papers. "Were are you off to?"   
  
"The Animagent meeting," she replied.   
  
"Ah, thats right, you're the new Magical Advisor," he said, still fussing with his papers.   
  
"You know, most people aren't supposed to know who is involved with the Animagents," Reagan said to him. "It kinda defeats the reasoning behind the Animagents."   
  
"True," he replied. "But you already know about it, so I can talk to you about it."   
  
"Do you want some help?" she asked, as he fought to keep hold if his papers.   
  
"Please," he said. Reagan snapped her fingers and the papers shuffled around in his hands, organizing themselves.   
  
"That wandless magic stuff is pretty cool," Trevor said.   
  
"It took a little while to master, but it was sort of a necessity with my line of work," Reagan replied. "Finally!"   
  
The doors to the lift opened and they both rushed out and down the hall towards the stairs that lead down to the courtrooms.   
  
"Why does this seem so familiar?" James asked as they both came into the room. He was standing near the doorway, smirking.   
  
"Shut it," Reagan replied.   
  
"Hey now," James said. "I happen to be a-"   
  
"Ranking officer," Reagan finished for him. "But I'm not an Auror, so those rules don't apply to me, and I can say whatever I want to you."   
  
"But you are an Animagent, so they do," James said.   
  
"James I have to be an Auror to be an Animagent," Reagan said. "I don't want any strings pulled to get me in. I don't want to be an Animagent, I want to be an advisor."   
  
"We're going to talk about this later," James said.   
  
"No we aren't," Reagan said, and went down the stairs. James followed her to the bottom of the courtroom, where four other witches and wizards were sitting. The entire courtroom was filled with Aurors, and Reagan wondered where Trevor was sitting.   
  
"All right, Miss Advisor, make my meeting safe," James said and handed her a piece of paper. "I need a list of everyone who is here, and I need it and them secure."   
  
"Do you want me to pull a DA agreement?" Reagan asked, referring to their aunt's charm she placed on the list of DA members.   
  
"Something like that," James replied. "But more severe."   
  
Reagan nodded and pulled out her wand. After thinking for a moment, she muttered, "Bindius Contractai" and the parchment shinned purple for a moment before turning back to its creamy color. Looking up at the Aurors she muttered, "Bindius Secrtarium" and a blue wind swept through the room.   
  
"What did you do?" James asked, taking the parchment from her.   
  
"If anyone thwhoat signs that contract breaks it in any way, they will be immediately transported to Father's office, magically bound and gagged and will have a purple A on their forehead," Reagan replied. "The same will happen if anyone in this room discusses the events today with someone they should not or in a way they should not, except they will have a blue A on their forehead."   
  
"That works," James said and signed the parchment. Reagan signed it after him and then passed it down the line of chairs. "Good work."   
  
"Believe it or not, James, I am capable of more."   
  
"I know," James said. "Lets just be on time from now on."   
  
"I apologize," Reagan said.   
  
"It was a bit interesting to see you and Trevor rush in here together," James said.   
  
"We rode the lift together," Reagan replied. "And-" she cast a Silencing Charm around them "-and that was all that happened. Trevor and I are friends."   
  
"You know you say that a lot," James said. "Its almost like you're trying to convince yourself instead of everyone else."   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes and sat down.   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
  
"So are you coming to all our meetings?" Trevor asked.   
  
Reagan looked up from her paper work. She was back in her office, three hours after the Animagent meeting.   
  
"Wow, Trevor," Reagan said, putting her quill down. "I don't see you for an entire month, and now its twice in one day."   
  
"Its just one of those days," he replied.   
  
"To answer your question, no," Reagan said. "I'll only go to the meetings I need to."   
  
"Ooh," he replied. "Nice flowers."   
  
Reagan glanced at the vase of flowers by the window, careful not to let her thoughts show on her face.   
  
"Thank you," she replied.   
  
"Who sent you those?" he asked.   
  
"What makes you think someone sent them to me?" she asked.   
  
"Thats how most people get flowers," he replied.   
  
"Did they teach you that in the Auror Academy?" she asked.   
  
"Nope, just common sense," he said.   
  
"Sounded like that psychological babble they make you go through at the Academy," she said. "I bought them myself, Trevor. I had them delivered this morning. It makes the room more colorful."   
  
"If you had wanted flowers, I could have sent you some," Trevor said.   
  
"But I wouldn't ask," Reagan replied. "Why are you here, Trevor?"   
  
"I wanted to know if you were busy tonight," he said.   
  
"Are you asking me out?" she asked.   
  
"I'm asking if are busy tonight," he replied, fighting a smile. "There was nothing about going in the question."   
  
"It was implied."   
  
"Are you busy?"   
  
"No."   
  
Trevor smiled and nodded. "Thats nice to know. See you around." He turned and walked towards her office door.   
  
"Trevor!" she cried, laughing. "Thats it? You wanted to know if I had plans, and you weren't going to suggest anything?"   
  
He smiled and shrugged. "I never said I was free tonight."   
  
Reagan laughed. "Then what was that all about?"   
  
"I just wanted to know if you had any plans, that was all."   
  
"Do you have any plans?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Are you asking me out now?" he asked.   
  
"Could you not answer my question with a question?"   
  
"Look who's quoting psycho babble now."   
  
Reagan sighed. "Could you be mature please?"   
  
"Could you?"   
  
Reagan gaped at him. "Me? I'm the one that needs to be mature?"   
  
"Well, I'm glad we agree," he replied. "I'll be mature if you are."   
  
"Fair enough."   
  
"No, I do not have any plans."   
  
"Would you like to do something?" she asked.   
  
"Oh, so you are asking me out," Trevor replied.   
  
"In thought we were going to be mature about this," she said.   
  
"Okay, okay," Trevor laughed. "What did you have in mind?"   
  
"I don't know," she said. "Something Muggle."   
  
"Muggle?" he asked. "Do you know anything about Muggles?"   
  
"Well, American witches and wizards are a lot like Muggles," Reagan replied. "Their customs and things they wear and stuff like that. I know a place in Muggle London that attracts both crowds."   
  
Trevor didn't look convinced.   
  
"I assure you it will be fun," she said. "Besides, neither of us are busy."   
  
"All right, I'm game," he said. "What time?"   
  
"Meet me at my place around nine," she said.   
  
"Sounds good," he replied. "See you then."   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
  
Reagan felt a little guilty about going out with Trevor while Brent was away. She knew he was in Wales, and he wouldn't find out.   
  
"Trevor and I are just friends," she told her reflection. "Brent and I are, well..."   
  
"More than friends, dear?" her mirror asked.   
  
"Oh I don't know," Reagan whispered and sighed. A knock came from the other room and she knew it was Trevor.   
  
She opened the door and he was standing on her doorstep, grinning at her.   
  
"Did you put wards up?" he asked.   
  
"Yes," she replied. "My dad did them, and I modified them. They only stop people who are coming to harm me."   
  
"Ah," he said. "So I have to think happy thoughts when I come over?"   
  
"Something like that," she said and held for the door from him.   
  
"Clever."   
  
"Convenient," she replied. "I'm almost ready."   
  
"Here," he said and pulled a bouquet of yellow roses out from behind his back. "I heard yellow was for friendship. And they were all out of pink."   
  
Reagan smiled and took the flowers from him. "Thank you, Trevor. This is just what this place needed." She summoned a vase and set them in, filling it with water from her wand.   
  
"You make magic look effortless," Trevor said as he watched her.   
  
"Shouldn't it be?" she asked, placing her flowers in the center of the table.   
  
"Well yes it should," he replied. "But most people have to think about it, about that spell to cast, and about the words and pronouncing them correctly. You just wave your wand, or your hand it it happens."   
  
"Well I know the spells and the pronunciations, Trevor," she said. "Most people make magic hard. They make it to be something else to remember. You'd be surprised at how many witches and wizards are Muggles at heart. A lot of people make magic too big of a deal. They take it too seriously."   
  
"And you don't?"   
  
"Not really," Reagan replied, walking back towards her bathroom. "I mean its nothing I can change, its in me. But it doesn't define me. I could live as a Muggle, be the same person and be just as happy."   
  
"I see."   
  
"You're the same way, Trevor," she said. "Magic comes easy to you. Cal, on the other hand, it does not. He had to think about it before he does it. Magic is like walking. Do you think about how to do it before you get up and walk across the room? No. And Cal can walk just fine, but his magic is a bit slow because he has to think about it."   
  
"But magic is second nature to us because we've studied it."   
  
"But magic is second nature to us," Reagan replied. "For most of the wizarding community it is not."   
  
"Are you ready yet?" he asked. "What are you doing?"   
  
"Its called mascara," Reagan said.   
  
"Doesn't that hurt?"   
  
"I'm not poking it in my eye," she replied. "I brushing my eye lashes with it."   
  
"It still looks odd."   
  
"Haven't you ever seen a girl put on makeup before?"   
  
"No," he replied. "My aunt didn't really wear makeup and I never would have thought to ask her if I could watch."   
  
"Well, I'll have to give you a lesson sometime," Reagan said. "Its much easier to understand the woman psyche when you understand why she wears make up."   
  
"Reagan, no matter what you say, I won't ever understand what goes on in your head."   
  
Reagan smiled at him. "Lets get going."   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
  
  
Reagan's 'both crowd' place was crowded. She and Trevor got in easily enough and made their way to the bar.   
  
"Do you think they have Firewhisky?" he asked her.   
  
Reagan nodded. "Its run by a wizard."   
  
"And fer yoo?" the bartender asked Trevor.   
  
"A shot of Firewhisky," Trevor said.   
  
"Martini," Reagan said. "Drinker's Delight."   
  
The bartender nodded and turned away from them to fill their order.   
  
"Drinker's Delight?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Its something I picked up in America," Reagan explained. "Its a martini that tastes like whatever the drinker wants it to."   
  
"Heer yer go," the bartender said. "Have some fun, and don't Apparate under the influence."   
  
"Thanks," Trevor said wearily and paid them man for their drinks. Looking at Reagan, he asked, "Did he just say Apparate? In front of Muggles?"   
  
Reagan nodded. "See the catch to having Muggles and Wizards in the same place is that the Muggle drinks are spiked with a Hazing Potion. It makes it so that the Muggles don't remember much of what happened while they are in here, that way if they see or hear about any magic they don't remember it after they leave."   
  
"And the Muggles that don't drink?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Trevor look around! Do you see any Muggles who would pass up a drink in here?"   
  
Trevor glanced around them. It was dark, a bit hazy like there was a morning fog moving into the room. There were brilliantly colored lights that were flashed and danced across the room. The entire dance floor area was crowded with people, wizards and Muggles alike, all dancing together. Along the back wall, was the bar area, stretching the entire length of the wall, with high toped tables and chairs in the area in front of the bar, also crowded with people.   
  
"Where did you hear about this place?" Trevor asked, having to yell over the music.   
  
"Taryn," Reagan replied.   
  
"The girl in your office?" Trevor asked.   
  
"She went to Hogwarts with us, she was two years behind me."   
  
"And you've taken a liking to her," Trevor said.   
  
"I think she deserves a shot," Reagan replied. "She's been in that office for two years and a month ago she assisted me on her first Construction."   
  
"You always did have a liking for people who needed a friend," Trevor laughed. "Cal was the lonely Muggle raised."   
  
"And Josie was the Slytherin in Gryffindor."   
  
Trevor glanced at her. "I wasn't going to say anything."   
  
"I know," Reagan replied, and took a sip of her drink. "Thats why I did." Trevor nodded.   
  
"What about me?" he asked. "I wasn't in need, and you took to me, trusted me when most wouldn't have."   
  
"You were a wrongly sorted Slytherin," Reagan said. "And someone told me I could trust you, so I did."   
  
"Someone?" Trevor asked. "Who on earth told you that I was trust worthy?"   
  
Reagan laughed. "I never said they were on earth! Come, on I want to dance!"   
  
Trevor then found himself being pulled onto the dance floor. He downed the rest of his drink, and set it on a table as they passed. The dancing at this place was not like they had done at the first Winter Ball they had gone to together. There was no laughing and twirling. This was close together, loud, and moving with the music like Trevor had never done before.   
  
"Reagan, I can't dance!" Trevor called at her.   
  
"Yes you can!" she replied. "Just move with the music, Trevor!"   
  
She took his hands and moved him closer to her, putting his hands on her hips, and he tried to move with her as she moved with the music. She had her arm around his shoulders, her hand on the back of his head, and her face was close to his. Trevor could feel everyone around them fading away and he looked at her and how beautiful she was and how much he wanted to be with her and he wanted again to kiss her. Their eyes were locked and he dared a glance at her lips and then back to her eyes, searching for permission. He didn't understand why she was so off limits to him, he didn't understand why she kept pushing him away. Her eyes didn't stray from his as them moved and danced with the music, and as the song wore on, Trevor felt his nerve leaving him, and the sounds of the other dancers came back to his ears and he looked away.   
  
"I'm going to get another drink," he said to her, not looking at her. He walked away back towards the bar, not wanting to look back. He ordered and paid for his new drink and then another and finally looked back as his fourth drink came across the bar.   
  
He sat and watched her dance, wondering if he should go back out there, when a Muggle came up to him.   
  
"Hey," the guy said. Trevor glanced at him.   
  
"Hi."   
  
"You with her?" he asked, pointing the top of his beer towards her.   
  
Trevor glanced at Reagan. "I came with her, but I'm not with her."   
  
"Awesome," the guy said. "Thanks man."   
  
Trevor rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Muggles."   
  
He watched as the guy went up to Reagan and said something to her. She laughed and glanced at Trevor, her eyes betting big.   
  
Trevor laughed to himself and set his glass on the bar. He walked over to Reagan where she was politely talking with the Muggle, but she looked like she wanted to leave.   
  
"Trevor!" she exclaimed. "This is Jonathan. Jonathan, my friend Trevor. "   
  
"We should get going," Trevor said to her and took her elbow.   
  
"Well, hold on a moment," Jonathan said. "I was just asking Megan if she wanted to come back to my place. A group of us are getting together later."   
  
"Its _Ray_-gen and I doubt my boyfriend would like that," Reagan said.   
  
"But Trevor here said he wasn't your boyfriend," Jonathan replied.   
  
Reagan glanced at Trevor. "Well, no, Trevor isn't my boyfriend.   
  
"Then why are you out with Trevor and not your boyfriend?"   
  
"Yes, why are you out with me and not your boyfriend?" Trevor asked.   
  
Reagan looked from Trevor to Jonathan and was terrified. How could she have slipped up? She had been eager to get away from Jonathan. He was a bit intoxicated and even more annoying, saying that she was an angel from heaven and then asking her to come back to her place. She just wanted him to go away.   
  
"The flowers," Trevor said. "You didn't buy them did you?"   
  
"Trevor--"   
  
"That also explains why you were so off limits," Trevor said. "and I thought it had something to do with your father."   
  
"I wanted to tell you," Reagan said.   
  
"No, you didn't. Or else you would have."   
  
"I did, I wanted you to know, just not like this."   
  
"He didn't know?" Jonathan asked, pointing at Trevor. "She must be a great friend of yours, Trevor-O, she didn't even tell you that she had a boyfriend. She must like you, or else she would have told you."   
  
"_Silencium_," Reagan said to Jonathan and his mouth continued to move but no sound came out.   
  
"Great, now you've lied to me, broken a wizarding law, and you'll have to _Obliviate_ him before we leave."   
  
"I doubt he noticed, stop saying 'wizard,' and I'm sorry Trevor."   
  
"Who is he, Reagan?" he asked.   
  
"Brent Johnson."   
  
"The Canon's Seeker?" he asked. "For some reason I thought you weren't the jock kinda girl. I can't believe you didn't tell me! You take off for four years without a word, and now you're lying to me about Brent Johnson? We were friends, Reagan. Thats all I wanted. I don't know about you, but I don't lie to my friends and I certainly never lied to you."   
  
"Trevor--"   
  
"Have a good night, Reagan. And remember to wipe his memory before you leave."   
  
And he was gone.   
  
Reagan sighed and fought back tears. She waved her hand at Jonathan and wiped his memory. He stared at her blankly and she would Apparate away. Jonathan wouldn't remember anything the next morning, but Trevor would.   
  
  
  
_   
  
A/N: Ahhh, more angst for Trevor and Reagan. But Miss Reagan has her hunky Seeker to take her mind off of things. More of him to come in the next chapter, along with Cal, Lane, more James and Darenn as parents, and also the winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award.   
  
I have created a Yahoo Group for these fics, and as a thank you for joining, you will receive access to the chapters a day earlier than fanfiction.net. The address to the group is on my author page, and I hope to see you all join.   
  
The prediction in the "As Seen in a Dream," where Reagan saw a Seeker die, was partly Josie's death, and partly Josie's catching of the Snitch in the Quidditch final. No harm will come to Brent Johnson, well no harm like that.   
  
I have also began another story, titled "The Calm." It is not in this universe, but deals with Harry Potter's daughter. She's different than Reagan, and its a completely different story and plot all together. It is also on my author page, if you'd like to try it out.   
  
Please review, I love hearing what you all think!!!   
  
~Miss Erica Evans _   
  
  
  



	6. Chapter Five: The Most Charming Smile Aw...

**Chapter Five: The Most Charming Smile Award**   
  
_ Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
A/N: Sorry for the delay, as usual. And Happy Birthday Reagan!! Reagan's birthday was April 18th, and she was actually born in 2004. So Happy Birthday and onto the chapter!!! _   
  
"You'll never guess who's nominated for Witch Weekly Most Charming Smile Award!" Brent exclaimed, bursting into Reagan's office. A bit startled, she looked up at his beaming face and grinned.   
  
"I'll give you three guesses, but you'll only need one," he said.   
  
"You're nominated?!" she squealed. "Thats wonderful!"   
  
"Isn't it the coolest award to be nominated for?!" Brent asked, laughing. "What do you think? Do I have the most charming smile you've ever seen?"   
  
Reagan laughed. "By far!"   
  
"They announce the winner at the end of the month, at a huge promotional event, its a big dress robe affair," Brent said. "You'll come with me, won't you?"   
  
"Of course!" Reagan nodded. "I wouldn't miss it."   
  
"I don't know who these other guys are," Brent said, showing her the paper. "Do you? Do you think I've got a shot?"   
  
"Lets see," she said, looking over the list. "Alfred Tablin, he's in Department of Records, your smile is much better than his... Mason Spacett is a teacher at Hogwarts, I don't know about him, last time I saw him he was pimply..."   
  
"How do you know so many people?" Brent asked.   
  
Reagan shrugged. "My father knows everyone, or rather everyone knows who my father is. My Aunt is the Minister of Magic, and a few terms before her my Grandpa Arthur was the Minister. I went to Hogwarts with most of the Ministry staff. Being a Potter and a Weasley kinda forced me to know everyone."   
  
"What about being a Johnson?" he asked.   
  
Reagan looked at him. "What?"   
  
"I mean if you were a Johnson, like I am, then you would know more."   
  
"I guess," Reagan said, uncertain of what he was getting at.   
  
"Never mind," he said, waving his hand as if to wave away his comment. "Forget I said that, I was just rambling. Do you know anyone else?"   
  
"Eric Donovan sounds familiar, but I can't match a face... Andrew Sollier doesn't ring a bell... and Tre..." Reagan stopped before she finished the last name on the list.   
  
"What about this last one?" Brent asked, taking the parchment from her. "Can you read it, or did I smudge it?"   
  
"Trevor Daniels," Reagan said. "He's an Auror, my brother knows him."   
  
"What about him?" Brent asked. "Can I beat him too?"   
  
On a broom, if you're chasing a Snitch, Reagan thought. Trevor's grinning face popped into her head and she looked at Brent.   
  
"He might be your only competition," she replied truthfully.   
  
"So should I flash my Victory Smile?" Brent asked, and grinned, bearing his white pearly teeth. "Or my Humble Smile? Maybe the one I use when we do publicity photos, the Publicity Photo Smile?"   
  
Reagan watched as he rattled off a few more smiles, naming each one, though they all looked the same. She was happy for Brent and his nomination, but she was dreading going to a formal gala where Trevor would see her and Brent together.   
  
"Maybe you should just smile the way you do when you're happy," Reagan suggested. "What makes you sublimely happy?"   
  
"You," Brent said, pulling her towards him..   
  
Reagan laughed. "Okay so smile the way you do when you think of me."   
  
Brent smiled at her, a true genuine smile.   
  
"See," she said, placing her hand on his chest. "Thats the winner."   
  
"You are my moosk," he replied, kissing her.   
  
"Moosk?" she asked. "I think you mean muse."   
  
"Yeah, thats it, my muse!" he laughed and kissed her again.  
  
"Well I'm glad I can be your muse, or you moosk which ever you like!" Reagan laughed. "But now I need to get back to work."   
  
"Work?" he asked and looked around. "What is it that you do?"   
  
Reagan sighed. She had explained to him many time what her job was. More times then she could count.   
  
"I'm a Constructor," she replied. "I construct spells and charms."   
  
"Oh, yes, thats right," he replied. "People ask me about you and I can never tell them what you do because I can never remember."   
  
"People?" she asked. "What kind of people?"   
  
"Mostly reporters," he said. "But my mom asks about you also."   
  
"Reporters?" she asked. "Wait, your mum?"   
  
"Yeah, and actually I've been meaning to ask you about that," Brent said. "My mom wants to meet you, and I was thinking that you could come home with me for the holidays, to my parents house."   
  
"Your parents?" Reagan asked. "But they're in America."   
  
"I know and I want you to meet them," Brent said. "We've been together for five months now and all I talk to my mom about is you, and I want you to meet her."   
  
"I'd love to meet her," Reagan began. "But not this Christmas."   
  
"Why not? Its perfect!"   
  
"I want to stay home this Christmas," Reagan explained.   
  
"Reagan, you're 22 years old, you can go somewhere else for the holidays."   
  
"Yes, I know, but I want to stay home this year," she repeated. "I haven't spent Christmas at home for four years, and I think I should this year. I want to spend the holiday with my family."   
  
Brent looked a little hurt. "But if I go back to America for Christmas and you stay here, then we won't see each other."   
  
"I know, and I wish you would stay-"   
  
"And I wish you would come with me."   
  
"We'll have other holidays," Reagan said. "This _one_ won't kill us."   
  
"I guess you're right," Brent said slowly, visibly bothered by her decision. "The nomination diner is a couple weeks before, we'll have fun at that."   
  
Reagan grinned at him. "Yes we will."   
  
"I'll let you get back to work," he said. "I've got to get to practice anyway."   
  
"I'll see you tomorrow night?"   
  
"Yeah," he said. "Have a nice family dinner with your parents tonight."   
  
"I will," she replied and he left. She watched him leave, wondering why her decision to stay home for Christmas bothered him so much. She shook her head and pushed it out of her mind, determined not to think about it.   
  
For the next three hours she worked in uninterrupted silence before someone knocked on her door.   
  
"Reagan?" Taryn's voice called from the other side.   
  
"'Its open," Reagan said, waving her hand and the door swung open.   
  
"You have a visitor," Taryn said.   
  
"Is is--"   
  
"No, its a Cal Morris?"   
  
"Cal's here?!" Reagan asked and jumped up. Standing in the front of their office was a grown up Cal Morris. Same sandy hair, same round face, same goofy grin.   
  
"Cal!" Reagan cried, and threw her arms around his neck.   
  
"Hey!" he cried, hugging her back.   
  
"When did you get back?" she asked.   
  
"Last night," he replied. "And this was my first stop today!"   
  
"Cal, its so good to see you!"   
  
"Well it better be!" he laughed. "You haven't seen me in four years! Someone decided to be a sophisticated university student! Look at you, all educated and with a red star on your badge!"   
  
"Yeah, well don't let appearances fool you!" Reagan laughed. "I doubt I've changed at all. What about you? How was Egypt?"   
  
Cal shrugged. "Its okay, its hot. Your Uncle Bill was great though, he's great to work with."   
  
"Yeah, I bet!" Reagan replied. "Do you have plans tonight? You should come over to dinner, we're all eating at Mum and Dad's tonight."   
  
Cal rolled his eyes. "And by everyone, I assume you mean your entire family?"   
  
Reagan shrugged. "Just the Potters, really. Come on, everyone would love to see you."   
  
"I don't know Reagan, I not exactly a member of your family."   
  
"Are you kidding me? Cal we've known each other for over ten years. The last two holidays we had at Hogwarts you spent at my house! And after everything we've been through? Thats makes you family!"   
  
Cal laughed. "I guess it does. All right, I'll come. I missed your mum's cooking."   
  
"Let me owl them and let them know you're coming," Reagan said as she walked back towards her office. Cal followed.   
  
"I like your office," he said. "These your certificates?" He was pointing to the framed documents along one wall.   
  
Reagan nodded. "My two majors, two minors, numerous other awards and certifications. I like this one the best though," Reagan said, pointing at the one in the middle.   
  
"Its a Muggle drivers licensee, Reagan," Cal said, reading the document. "You had your California driver's license framed?"   
  
"Have you tried driving a car?" she asked. "Especially in America? In California? Let me tell you, not only do they drive on the wrong side of the road, they drive like maniacs. Its like everyone is on hyper drive."   
  
Cal rolled his eyes. "You'll never change."   
  
"I take that as a compliment," Reagan said, folding the note to her mum.   
  
"Those are beautiful," Cal said, pointing to the latest flower arrangement on her window sill. "Are they from--"   
  
"Brent Johnson," Reagan cut him off before he could finish his question. She knew he was going to ask it they were from Trevor.   
  
"Brent Johnson?" Cal asked. "Why does that sound familiar?"   
  
"He's the Cannon's Seeker," Reagan replied. "He's on Darenn's team."   
  
"Oh yeah," Cal replied. "He's pretty good. Nice taste in flowers. I thought they might have been from--"   
  
"But they're not," Reagan said quickly.   
  
"Point taken," Cal replied. "I take it the reunion was not as smooth as you had hoped?"   
  
"I'm pretty sure Trevor hates me, and I doubt he'll be speaking to me any time soon. Fact I haven't seen him in a few months. He tends to avoid me."   
  
"Is this Brent Seeker worth it?" Cal asked.   
  
"Brent is wonderful," Reagan replied.   
  
"I meant is he worth loosing Trevor's friendship over?"   
  
"You certainly are nosy and direct for someone who has only been back in the country for a day!" Reagan laughed, not answering his question. "Come on, I've got to grab some wine for Mum."   
  
Reagan was grateful that Cal didn't press the Trevor matter any further, mostly because she didn't want to think about the truth of that matter.   
  
"Reagan's bringing Cal to dinner," Ginny said to Harry, reading her note that her owl had just delivered.   
  
Harry nodded. "He's back from Egypt, he's transferring to the London branch."   
  
"Harry," Ginny warned. "What are you doing in Reagan's head?"   
  
"Actually, my lovely wife, Bill sent me an owl about it the other day," Harry replied, kissing her cheek. "I was not in my daughter's head."   
  
"Good."   
  
"However, I am not responsible for the images that come into my head without my control."   
  
"What have you seen?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Wouldn't you like to know!" Harry laughed and picked a cherry out of the pie she was making.   
  
"Harry James Potter!" Ginny cried.   
  
"Ginevra Molly Potter!" he cried back.   
  
"Was it anything you shouldn't have seen?"   
  
Harry made a face. "Goodness no."   
  
"Then tell me."   
  
"I'm sure it will come up at dinner," Harry said reaching for another cherry, but Ginny slapped his hand away.   
  
"It might. Or you could tell me now."   
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "If you must know."   
  
"I must."   
  
"Our favorite Seeker boyfriend has been nominated for Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."   
  
"Well thats... good news... I guess," Ginny replied. "Didn't Lockhart win that?"   
  
"A couple times," Harry replied. "His son too, which gave us all a huge laugh around the office that year."   
  
"Do you know who else was nominated?"   
  
Harry nodded. "Trevor was nominated also."   
  
"Oh... _oh.._" Ginny replied, realizing what that meant. "She has to be lovely dovey with her boyfriend in front of Trevor."   
  
"I would pay money to be there," James said, walking into the kitchen.   
  
"You shouldn't eves drop, James," Ginny said.   
  
"I wasn't," James said. "It was fairly obvious what you were talking about. Reagan may be the one with the Connection, Mum, but the rest of us aren't dumb."   
  
"Do you think Trevor could win?" Ginny asked, swatting a towl at her grown son. "He has a fairly charming smile."   
  
"He's much better looking that Brent is," Erika said, coming in behind James.   
  
"But Brent just acts the part better," James finished. "The winner is always very... into himself."   
  
"True," Harry said. "Brent does remind me a lot of Lockhart, the senior Lockhart. I hope for Trevor's sanity that he doesn't win."   
  
"I invited him tonight," James said. "He's practically family and all. He asked if Reagan and Brent were going to be here."   
  
"Reagan's coming, but Brent's not. She's bringing Cal," Harry said.   
  
"Cal's' back?" James asked. "Great!"   
  
"Its funny though," Harry said to James. "You think to ask Trevor because you think of him as family, and Reagan doesn't ask Brent to come. She told him it was a family night."   
  
"And how do you know this?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Mum, honestly," James replied, tapping his father's forehead. Ginny rolled her eyes and turned back to her pie.   
  
"Well Trevor is family," James replied. "He has been for years. He just... meshes well with our family. Some people do, some don't. Erika does."   
  
Erika laughed. "I certainly hope so! I doubt I'd stay married to you if it meant uncomfortable dinners and holidays."   
  
"We did kinda throw you into our family, though," Harry said. "That year when you came to America. That was like a crash coarse in being a Potter."   
  
"At least_ she_ wasn't kidnapped," Ginny said.   
  
"Oh Ginny, you had been kidnapped many times before that," Harry replied. "It wasn't like it should have come as a shock."   
  
"True," Ginny nodded. "Knowing you put me at the top of every kidnapers list."   
  
"My point," James continued. "Was that Trevor goes with our family. Brent doesn't."   
  
"I don't think Brent has any siblings," Darenn said from the door way. "He's probably overwhelmed with all of us."   
  
"We do take some getting used to," Harry said.   
  
"The best ones are the ones that have known us for a long time," Darenn explained. "People that have known us when there weren't so many of us."   
  
"And when was that?" Harry asked. "All I can ever remember is Weasleys."   
  
"Okay, less of us," Darenn replied. "And I brought a long a straggler who knew us back then."   
  
"You brought someone to a family dinner?" James asked. "What about your wife?"   
  
"She came too, and my two children, James," Darenn. "But I saw Trevor here-" he pulled Trevor into the doorway, slinging an arm around his neck, and messing up his hair "-at Quality Quidditch Supplies and made him come along."   
  
"Hey," Trevor said. Ginny, Harry, James and Erika all stared at him, a bit in shock.   
  
"I told him Brent wasn't coming," Darenn explained. "He still wasn't hot at the idea, but he hasn't been to a family dinner in about five months and I thought it was time he came. Besides, a guys gotta eat!"   
  
"Does it help that he threatened me?" Trevor asked. "Can I get him arrested for that?"   
  
"I didn't threaten you!" Darenn cried at him.   
  
"Did too!" Trevor replied.   
  
"All I said was that I was going use you as a human Bludger if you didn't stop moping over my -"   
  
But Darenn didn't get to finish his sentence because he suddenly went completely stiff, his arms snapping to his sides and he fell backwards onto the floor. Everyone looked down at Darenn, except for Trevor who looked past the doorway in the direction the spell had come from.   
  
"Nice wandless magic, Trevor," James said, nodding. "Remind me to add that to your file, the more Animagents with wandless magic abilities, the better!"   
  
"It wasn't me," Trevor said, swallowing.   
  
"It was me," Reagan said from the dining room, her hands on her hips. Cal was standing next to her, surveying the situation, much as he always had.   
  
"Hi honey!" Harry said, smiling.   
  
"Hi Dad, hi Mum," Reagan replied. "As for the rest of you, could you please not decide for me who works with our family and who doesn't. Its not exactly a matter you have any say in, and therefore it is not up for discussion." She turned and stormed out of the room.   
  
"She hasn't changed much has she?" Cal asked.   
  
"Not a bit," James replied, and waved his wand over his brother. "She still acts like she's fifteen. Magic got a bit better though. I can't get this off you, Darenn."   
  
"Hey Cal," Trevor said, and gave is fellow Hogwarts alumni a hug. "Back from Egypt?"   
  
"For good," Cal replied. "Got a job at the London Gringotts."   
  
"If you need a place stay, I have an extra bedroom at my place," Trevor offered. "Its usually where one of these fools crashes when they tick their wives off."   
  
"I resent that!" James called, still trying to take the spell off Darenn.   
  
Cal laughed. "Nothing changes does it?"   
  
Trevor shrugged and glanced above him. Directly above the dining room was Reagan's room. "Some things do."   
  
Cal knew what he meant. "Maybe. Congratulations on the smile nomination, though."   
  
Trevor snorted. "Yeah, thats all I need is a Witch Weekly award."   
  
"From what I hear you don't need anymore awards," Cal replied.   
  
"I really don't," Trevor said. "And the person that should win is the one person I really don't want to."   
  
Cal grinned and nodded. "I agree completely."   
  
Ginny said. "Harry please get the plates out."   
  
"You have three children who could do that," Harry replied.   
  
"And I'm asking you to," Ginny replied. "_Without_ magic."   
  
"I'll do it, Mrs. Potter," Trevor said, stepping towards the kitchen.   
  
"Actually Trevor would you get Reagan to remove her spell."   
  
Trevor's draw dropped.   
  
"No I'll get Reagan," James said, looking from his mother to his friend.   
  
"No, Trevor can get Reagan."   
  
James shot Trevor a look that was very apologetic and Trevor turned towards the stairs.   
  
"What did I do?" Trevor said to Cal, who suppressed a laugh.   
  
"Good luck, mate," Cal said and patted him on the back as he walked towards the stairs.   
  
"You just sent him to his death, Ginny," Harry said to his wife.   
  
Ginny shrugged. "You might be the one with the Connection, but I know my children."   
  
Harry rolled his eyes and started to hand James plates from the cabinet.   
  
Reagan was standing at the window in her old room, watching her niece and nephews play in the back yard. She had not expected to see Trevor here and it threw her off a bit. _Since when was Trevor invited to family dinners? What have I missed in the past four years? _   
  
She glanced down at the photo frame she was holding, and sighed. It was a picture of her and Trevor, with their Prefect badges shining on their chests. Down in the back yard, Reagan could picture herself playing and laughing with her brothers when they were that young.   
  
"Things were easier when we were young," Trevor said and startled her out of her thoughts. She turned and looked at him and nodded.   
  
"Your mother wants you to take that curse off Darenn."   
  
"Its just a Full Body Bind," Reagan replied, turning back to the window. "Any first year could remove it."   
  
"Not when its caster is still holding it intact in her mind," Trevor replied. "It was wandless magic, Reagan. Different magic, different rules."   
  
Reagan looked at him. He looked so good. His hair was tousled, his face tanned, though she didn't know why, it was November. He still had his uniform on, though he had taken off the long cloak that was normally attached at his shoulders.   
  
"_Finite,_" she said and a moment later she heard Darenn yell he was going to get her.   
  
"Close the door please," she said. He nodded and began to leave, closing the door behind him, but she spoke again. "I meant come in and close the door."   
  
He took a step into the room and closed the door behind him.   
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Brent."   
  
"Reagan it was four months ago," Trevor said.   
  
"And I'm still sorry."   
  
"Fair enough," he replied. "I accept you apology. Do you think we can make it through a civil dinner?"   
  
"Depends, are you going to talk to me, or ignore me?" she asked.   
  
"Depends on what you're going to do," he replied.   
  
"Lets just not kill each other," she said, and looked back out the window. She could feel Trevor's eyes on her, feel the tension they were creating in the room.   
  
"What are you holding?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Nothing," she said, not looking towards him.   
  
He took a few steps toward her and pulled the picture from from her hand.   
  
"This was my sixth year, your fifth," he said. "Why were you holding this?"   
  
Reagan shrugged. "Like you said, things were easier when we were younger."   
  
"I meant other things," Trevor replied. "But things like this-" he put the frame in her line of sight, so she could see the picture of them laughing, pointing at their badges, and then Trevor leaning over and kissing her on the cheek "-were never easy. There was too much there for it to be easy." She looked away from the picture and he set it back on the dresser.   
  
"That was years ago," Reagan replied.   
  
"You're right," Trevor said. "But sometime it only seems like months."   
  
"Congratulations on the nomination," Reagan said, changing the subject.   
  
"Thanks," Trevor replied. "But I doubt I'll win. Things like this don't matter to me as they do to other people."   
  
"You'll still go to the nomination dinner though," Reagan stated.   
  
Trevor shrugged. "Maybe. I'll see you downstairs. I'll try to keep Darenn occupied, so he won't murder you."   
  
"Thanks," Reagan said and Trevor let himself out of her room.   
  
She sighed and looked back at the picture. And all she wanted to do was cry.   
  
"Pass the potatoes, Reagan," her mother said to her. Reagan focused on the dish of potatoes and it rose in the air and moved towards her mother.   
  
"With your hands next time, please," Ginny said, taking the dish from mid air. "Not everything needs to be done with magic."   
  
"Not everything needs to be done by hand," Reagan replied.   
  
"That is so cool," James said. "When did you learn that wandless magic stuff?"   
  
Reagan shrugged. "In college. It was one of those skills that I had master to be good at what I do."   
  
"Its still cool," James said. "Though I'm not sure its the kind of thing that can be taught."   
  
"It is and it isn't," Reagan replied. "During our classes, you could tell who was a natural and who wasn't. It all came down to magical power."   
  
"So stay on her good side, James," their father joked.   
  
"Yeah, just ask Darenn," Ginny said.   
  
"Its good advice, mate," Darenn replied. "My muscles still ache from earlier."   
  
"That was nothing," Reagan said grinning. "My bark is worse than my bite."   
  
"Another true statement," Trevor said, daringly. Reagan glared at him.   
  
"And when was the last time you saw my bark or my bite?" she asked.   
  
"Lets keep this PG, please?" Erika joked.   
  
"Yes, please don't tear each other's faces off here," James continued, covering his son's ears.   
  
"Why would Auntie Reagan bite Mr. Trevor?" David asked, looking at Darenn.   
  
"She wouldn't," Darenn replied.   
  
"I was just teasing," Reagan said to her nephew. "I would never bite Trevor."   
  
_Would too,_ Reagan heard a voice say in her head. She wiped her head around to look at her father who was smirking at her.   
  
"Dad!" she cried and he laughed.   
  
"Sorry, Reagan," he laughed. "It just slipped out. But your reaction was priceless!"   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes and looked back at her food.   
  
"What is so funny?" Darenn asked James, leaning over Trevor.   
  
James shrugged. "Who knows. Its all in their heads."   
  
"Literally," Trevor said and the three of them laughed.   
  
"What is so funny?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Hey, if you two can have your secrets, so can we," James said.   
  
"Cal, how was Egypt?" Ginny asked before Reagan and James could go at each other.   
  
Cal jumped, not expecting to hear his name. "Fine."   
  
"Are you looking forward to being back in England?" Avery asked. She too had been quiet thus far.   
  
Call nodded. "It will be nice to be back. Egypt was a great experience, but London is just home."   
  
"And the weather is nicer," Reagan added. Cal nodded in agreement.   
  
"Speaking of weather," Trevor started, and looked at Darenn. "How is the weather going to be for your game coming up?"   
  
"Its supposed to be cold and snowy," Darenn said.   
  
"Doesn't sound like ideal playing conditions," Harry commented.   
  
"We'll manage," Darenn replied. "As long as all our players heads are in the game. We don't need any distractions."   
  
Reagan looked up at her brother. "Distractions?"   
  
"Well, you know," Darenn replied, glancing at Trevor. "Distractions."   
  
"All right, lets pretend for a moment that Trevor is not here," Reagan said. "What kind of distractions are you worried about?"   
  
"Why would it matter if I was here or not?" Trevor asked. Both Reagan and Darenn ignored him.   
  
"I just want to make sure that all my players heads are in the game and not in the stands with the spectators," Darenn said. "Everyone needs to be rested up and in good playing condition."   
  
"Oh, so I'll make sure to have Brent in bed by a decent hour then?" Reagan spat at her brother.   
  
"Reagan!" Ginny gasped.   
  
"Not literally, Mum," Reagan replied.   
  
"I'm just saying, Reagan," Darenn continued. "If you're going to date one of my players, then you have to deal with the consequences."   
  
"There seems to be many consequences to dating this guy, Reagan," James commented.   
  
"There are consequences to anyone I date," Reagan replied. "The fact that Brent plays Quidditch is irrelevant."   
  
"No its not," Darenn said. "If you were dating Trevor then I wouldn't have to worry about Brent's head on game day."   
  
"Wait, if I were dating Trevor?" Reagan asked. "Darenn, I'm sure you could find something wrong with anyone I was dating, including Trevor."   
  
"Apparently I'm not here any longer," Trevor said to Cal.   
  
"I never said there was a problem with you dating Brent, from a brotherly angle," Darenn replied. "However, from a teammate, and a Quidditch captain position, I am worried that Brent might not have all his priorities correct. I don't want his game performances slacking because of a new girl."   
  
"New girl?" Reagan asked. "So now I'm just Brent's new girl?"   
  
Darenn didn't respond. He just looked at his sister.   
  
"Look, Reagan, I told you in the beginning to be careful with him," Darenn said.   
  
"And I told you I could handle myself," Reagan replied.   
  
"And I'm not doubting that, its just that Brent is known--"   
  
"Well this was certainty an interesting dinner!" Harry broke in. "But it is getting late and I know three Aurors and one Advisor who have an early morning meeting tomorrow."   
  
"Point taken," Darenn said, standing to help his mother clear away dishes.   
  
"Yes, it is getting late," Reagan said, glancing at her watch. "Cal, are you staying in London?"   
  
Cal nodded. "I have a room at the Leaky Cauldron for the next few nights, until I get settled. I can Apparate directly there."   
  
"All right then," Reagan said as everyone began to take dishes into the kitchen. James and Darenn both took things into the kitchen. Erika helped Avery clean up Bianca who had decided to use her mashed potatoes as a face wash. On the other side of the table, Trevor was walking up to her father, and Reagan was a bit surprised.   
  
"Thank you for having me for dinner," Trevor said to her father, and shook his hand. Harry laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.   
  
"Not a problem," Harry said. "Darenn was right, you are family." Harry leaned in close to Trevor so only Trevor could hear what he said. "Regardless of what my daughter thinks."   
  
Trevor laughed and nodded. "Than you, sir."   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. She couldn't hear what her father had said to Trevor, but she had a good idea.   
  
"When did Dad and Trevor become such good friends?" Reagan asked her mother.   
  
Ginny glanced at her. "Well your father did choose Trevor personally as his medical advisor."   
  
Reagan shook her head. "You know, the more people push me towards Trevor, the more I pull away."   
  
"Reagan, no one is pushing you towards anyone," Ginny said.   
  
"And what was that with Darenn?" Reagan asked, pointing towards the dining room.   
  
"Darenn has Quidditch on the brain, he always has," Ginny replied. "And regardless of how he comes off, he wants whats best for you."   
  
"And what if Brent is whats best for me?" Reagan asked. "He makes me happy, Mum."   
  
Ginny didn't say anything right away.   
  
"I just need everyone to except that fact that I grew up and I can make my own decisions," Reagan said.   
  
"Well it is kind of hard for us to get used to that idea," Ginny said, the tone in her voice changing. "When you left, you were a teenager fresh out of Hogwarts. We didn't see you for four years. Then you come home and suddenly we're supposed to except the fact that you are an adult. We didn't see the change, we weren't there to see you grow up. Its a little hard to adjust to."   
  
"Mum, its been five months," Reagan replied. "In five months you can't _adjust_ to the idea that I'm an adult?"   
  
"Not when you bicker with your brothers like you used to," Ginny replied. "Not when you act like an fifteen year old and not a twenty two year old. Trust me Reagan, everyone will start to believe this new _adult_ you when we see you _acting_ like an adult."   
  
Reagan gaped at her mother. _ How am I not acting like an adult?? _   
  
"Regardless of what you think, Reagan, we have to see something to believe it," Ginny finished.   
  
"Right Mum," Reagan replied sarcastically. "I'll have to work on _acting_ like a adult."   
  
"Just stop trying to convince us," Ginny said. "Act like an adult and we'll treat you like one."   
  
Reagan scowled at her mother. "Good night, Mum."   
  
"Good night sweetie," Ginny said, turning her sweet voice back on.   
  
Reagan walked out of the kitchen, still trying to figure out what her mother was talking about.   
  
"Going home?" her father asked.   
  
Reagan nodded. "Did Trevor leave?"   
  
"Yeah, a couple minutes ago," Harry replied. "Sorry we didn't have a chance to warn you, Reagan. We didn't know he was coming till he showed up."   
  
"Its fine," Reagan said. "I'm going home. I'll see you in the morning."   
  
"Good night," Harry said.   
  
"Good night, Dad."   
  
Three days later, Reagan was sitting in the stands of a Quidditch stadium, freezing to death. The Cannons were playing Puddlemere and the game was tied. They had been playing for three hours already, and the cold day had turned into a thick snow.   
  
Reagan huddled closer to her mum, eager for more body warmth.   
  
"Cold?" her mum asked her. Reagan nodded, her teeth chattering. Ginny laughed and cast another warming spell over the blanket draped over them both.   
  
"Avery, I don't know how you've done this for the past six years!" Reagan called over at her sister in law, two rows down. Avery turned and smiled at her.   
  
"Welcome to the team!" Avery laughed. "If you can make it through a snow game without freezing of leaving early, you're in!"   
  
Reagan rolled her eyes, and tried to focus on the game.   
  
"I wish Brent would hurry up and catch the Snitch," Reagan said.   
  
"Well at least you're here," Ginny said.   
  
"Yeah, its like killing two birds with one stone," Reagan replied. "Support the brother while supporting the boyfriend."   
  
"At least you're here supporting them," Ginny said.   
  
"Through rain, sleet, snow and hail," Avery called up to her. "The wives of the Cannons will never bail!"   
  
"Wife!" Reagan cried back. "Thank goodness I'm not one of those yet!"   
  
"Just you wait!" Avery called. "Brent's the only one on the team who's not married. Rumor is he's aching to get married!"   
  
Reagan glanced at her mum, who was watching her intently.   
  
"He was upset I couldn't meet his family over Christmas," Reagan said. "You don't think he wants to...?"   
  
Her mum shrugged, and glanced at her father, who in turn made a horrid face. But Reagan didn't see that part.   
  
Three weeks later, Reagan was in deep red dress robes, her hair was up with wisps of curl framing her face, she was still freezing, and she was again watching Brent, waiting for something to happen. He was standing with the other seven nominees, grinning madly. Reagan looked at eat nominee, wondering why each one was nominated. When she got to Trevor she was careful to to catch his eye. One, because she didn't want him to see her laughing; two because she didn't want to see Brent see them laughing. Trevor was dressed up in his formal dress uniform, which stood out from the other six nominees who all had black dress robes. Brent, being one to over do some things, had dress robes that were lined with a deep red, that accented her dress perfectly.   
  
The representative from Witch Weekly was reading off their names again, and everyone was applauding politely. Reagan watched, bored and cold, wishing that the representative would get on with announcing the winner. She glanced at the other dinner attendants. She didn't recognize anyone else, but everyone seemed to notice her. All night long people had stopped and watched as she and Brent had passed by. He was the only nominee that had brought a date, and was the only one who's name people associated with Quidditch, which was a very popular sport.   
  
Reagan decided that must have been why people were noticing them. After the Quidditch game three weeks prior, there had been a lot of photos taken of the players and their wives. Reagan wasn't a wife, but she was there with the wives when the players came out of the locker room. Brent was grinning from ear to ear, having caught the Snitch finally, winning the game 300-150, and allowing them all a chance to leave for warmer places. The photographers got a little click happy around Reagan and Brent as she hugged him and congratulated him on his victory. And sure enough, the next day on the cover of Quidditch Today was a picture of them after the game. A nice remark was made about her in the article, staying "_...and Brent Johnson was greeted by girlfriend Reagan Potter, daughter of Captain Harry Potter, and niece of Hermione Weasley, the Minister of Magic. Brent Johnson is currently the only unwed player on the Cannon's team, but look out ladies, it looks like Miss Potter has snagged herself a winner. Potter and Johnson have been spotted at some of the hottest places in London, wizarding and Muggle. And that snowy day Miss Potter was sporting a simple and subtle silver band on a very important finger..._"   
  
Reagan looked down at her hand, at the subtle and simple silver band on the ring finger of her left hand. She couldn't believe that they had printed that. Luckily, anyone who knew her knew that the ring she wore on her finger was made from a family ring of Josie's. She and Josie had melted it down during their first year, and made two small thin rings for the two of the to symbolize their friendship. For anyone to think that that ring was from Brent wasn't thinking right. If Brent were to give her a ring to wear on that finger, it would be a lot bigger and lot heavier. That was just the way Brent did things.   
  
Reagan twisted the ring with her other hand. She had never taken it off her finger, since Josie had died. She realized that Brent didn't even know why she wore it.   
  
"And the winner of this years Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award is..."   
  
_ A/N: Okay, so I had to leave you with a cliffie, or else you would have no reason to check back for updates! Review please, they are very encouraging.   
  
Okay, okay, I know I said we would see Lane, it didn't fit right. Don't worry, there is more to come. We will also find out what Brent meant when he talked about Reagan being a Johnson... But you won't see Reagan in a white dress till the end... maybe.   
  
Thank you for all your support. Please join the Yahoo Group I have created, the link is on my author page. If you are a member of that group, you get the chapters a day earlier than the rest of everyone does. I post there before I post on ff.net. Hope to see you there!!   
  
Erica   
  
_


	7. Chapter Six: Trevor's Friend

**Chapter Six: Trevor's Friend**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter._

_Sitting in our office, there is one word to describe Trevor Daniels: cool. He's sipping on a Butterbeer, chatting and laughing with our reporters, wearing his Auror uniform (he came directly from work he claims). Trevor may have won this year's Most Charming Smile Award, but his smile isn't the only thing about him that is charming. When asked how he feels about winning the award, he laughs and replies, "Well, its better than winning the Most Disgusting Smile Award!" He's quite modest, even when you bring up his other awards and nominations, accomplishments and achievements, and there are many._

_Like the majority of our readers, Trevor, 23, attended Hogwarts. This former Head Boy was always a popular one at Hogwarts. At times soft spoken, but get to know him and he'll never stop talking. At Hogwarts he was one of the few students to have more friends outside of their own house. "I got along with my house mates," Trevor has said. "But we were never really friends." And what house was he sorted into? Just ask and he'll say, with some amount of pride, "Slytherin. I was an ambitious and sly Slytherin."_

_Ambitious? Yes, definitely. Sly? Well, we'll have to see. But this dark haired Auror doesn't exert the same vibe that other Slytherins give off. He seems more Gryffindorish to these Witch Weekly reporters. We asked Trevor why he was in Slytherin, and he replies, shrugging, "Because its who I was. Wait till you get to know me. I can be very deceptive."_

_Right. These Witch Weekly reporters don't see an ounce of deception on him. No dark marks, no evil rings, everything about him is real._

_After leaving Hogwarts, Trevor went through medi-wizard training and became a Healer, working mainly with curse reversal. But after a year or so of Healing, his heart pulled him towards the United British Auror Confederation. "I really don't know why I chose to become and Auror. It seemed like something important I needed to do. I needed to feel like I was apart of something important, something bigger than me."_

_Trevor enjoys watching Quidditch more than playing. His favorite team is the Chuddly Cannons and thinks that Darenn Potter is the best Captain the Cannons have ever had. He has a soft spot for Chocolate Frogs and the licorice flavored Bernie Botts Every Flavored Beans. A full fledged bachelor, he can cook, take out his own trash and even do his own laundry._

_When his love life comes into conversation, Trevor is suddenly very silent. This is where the important questions come in._

_WW: Have you ever been in love?_

_TD: Yes._

_WW: Have you ever been in a serious relationship?_

_TD: Not officially._

_WW: Do you prefer relationships or dating?_

_TD: Relationships... I'm as loyal as a Labrador._

_WW: Are you in a relationship right now?_

_TD: No._

_And when asked if there was someone he had his eye on, Trevor fights a smile and replies, "No... not really."_

_Watch out ladies, Trevor Daniels has this years Most Charming Smile, and hes the unofficial most eligible bachelor. WW_

Reagan closed her copy of Witch Weekly and stared at Trevor's grinning face from the front cover. She _had_ been surprised when Trevor had won Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award, though she was not surprised at the publicity it had created for him. She had random witches walking up to her asking about him, saying they heard that she knew him. It drove her nuts. She hadn't seen him since the announcement dinner, but she heard from her brothers that he had been keeping out of the lime light as much as possible, staying mostly at his flat.

Brent had been crushed after the ceremony. Reagan had tried to make him feel better saying that he was much better looking than Trevor, though she wasn't to sure if he was. Brent was striking, but Trevor was, well, charming.

Reagan was almost sure Brent was going to win, he just fit the part better. Reagan had never known any of the other years' recipient of the award, but from she heard of her parent's teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, the winner was very into himself. And that was the way Brent was.

Reagan stuffed the magazine into her drawer, shutting Trevor's face inside her desk. She then looked at the stack of paperwork she had on her desk, and glared at it. When she had decided to become a Constructor, no one had told her the amount of paper work it required.

"It's not just _your_ job, Reagan," Harry said from her doorway and Reagan looked up. He had on his blue Auror uniform, his ranking bars and achievement ribbons looking impressive even to a civilian eye. "No one told me that being an Auror would be mostly a desk job."

"It just gets tiring," Reagan replied, not surprised to have him answering her thoughts.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic," Harry said. "Where there is little magic work and a lot of paper work."

"Funny, Dad," Reagan replied. "Do you need something? As happy as I am to see you, I do have work to do."

"Yes, I did come with a purpose," Harry said and handed her a small piece of blue paper.

"You came all the way over here to deliver a message?" Reagan asked, taking the paper from him.

"Well, it was an urgent request from a certain charming Slytherin I know," Harry replied.

"Why couldn't he use a ruddy owl?" Reagan growled, and read her message.

"Because it was urgent, of incredible delicacy," Harry replied. "And I offered to. Trevor got some, well, he got some news this morning and I think you might want to be his friend right about now."

"All it says is for me to come and see him," Reagan replied.

"Yes, and that is our next stop," Harry said, motioning for her to get up.

"Dad I have work to do," Reagan replied. "I can't just jump when Trevor says jump."

"Please just go and see him and you will feel differently," Harry said. "Would I come down here myself if I didn't think it was worth it?"

Reagan sighed, knowing he wouldn't have. "Fine."

She walked with her father out of her office, down the lift and through the corridor of Magical Law Enforcement to the Auror department. There were cubicles, each one decorated with various posters, pictures and maps. Harry steered her towards a corner office, on the left towards the back and knocked on the door. It opened and Reagan caught a glimpse of Trevor sitting at his desk, his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes.

"Doing all right, Lieutenant?" Harry asked.

Trevor looked up at him and managed a smile. "We'll see, sir."

"Good luck," Harry said and closed the office door.

"What's so important you had to send my father to get me?" Reagan asked, her arms folded. "I do have a job, you know, and I do have have work to do."

"Reagan, I know and I'm sorry," Trevor replied. "But please drop your tone and the attitude, because its really not helping me right now."

Reagan gaped at him. "If you think that sending my father to fetch me, like some sort of puppy, is going to win you points with me then--"

"You wouldn't come any other way and I needed you," Trevor replied. His face was tired and he looked worn out.

"What's wrong?" she asked, in a nicer tone.

"Do you remember how I told you my parents were in Azkaban?" Trevor asked.

Reagan nodded, a little shocked. Trevor had not mentioned his parents to her since their day in the library when he had first told her about them. And that was eight years ago.

"Well, I got a message today saying that they had died."

"Oh my gosh," Reagan gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Trevor I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, well, I didn't really know them," Trevor said. "But since I'm the next of kin, I have to go identify their bodies, sign the release papers, gather their few belongings and other formality stuff. And I... I don't want to go alone."

"When were you planning on going?" she asked, mentally thinking what she could clear off her schedule.

"Tonight," he replied. "I would go now, to get it over with, but I have some meetings later that I can't miss."

"Tonight?" Reagan asked, her heart sinking.

"Yeah, is that bad?"

Reagan looked at her hands. "I sort of have plans tonight."

"With Brent?"

Reagan nodded. "Trevor, I'm sorry, this is just... just really bad timing."

Trevor looked solemn. "I understand."

"Trevor, I'm sorry," Reagan repeated.

"Does Brent know?" Trevor asked. "I mean does Brent know about us? About how we know each other?"

"Well, not exactly," Reagan replied. "It never came up, and then this whole Charming Smile Award came about and I told him my brother knew you."

"So he doesn't know that I go to your family dinners, or that I was your first kiss, or that I was the one who was your shoulder to cry on after Josie died?"

Reagan shook her head. "He doesn't even know about Josie."

"Does he know about your Connection?"

Reagan shook her head again. "I never knew how to tell him. It all just seemed irrelevant, like it was a part of my past."

"Of the old Reagan."

"Yeah, in a way," Reagan replied.

"Do you think maybe you should tell him?" Trevor asked, sitting in the edge of his desk. "He is your boyfriend and all."

For a reason Reagan didn't know, Trevor's words stung. She felt bad about not telling Brent, and she felt bad about not being able to go with Trevor. She thought quickly for a solution; she needed to talk to Brent, and she needed to be there for Trevor, all in one night.

"Can you put off going to Azkaban until later tonight?" she asked hopefully. His eyes perked up a little and he nodded.

"I'd like to tell Brent that I'm going to go with you," Reagan said. "And then we can go later."

"All right," Trevor replied after a moment. He looked heart broken, but Reagan didn't think it was over her. He had the look on his face like his dog had just died.

Reagan took a few steps to him and put her arms around him. He sighed and laid his head on her shoulder. She ran her hand over the back of his head, and held him for a few moments before he sat up.

"You sure you want to come with me?" he asked.

"Yeah I am."

"They still have Dementors at Azkaban," Trevor continued.

"And they make you relive the worst parts of your life," Reagan finished for him. "I did pay attention in school."

Trevor eyed her. "Are you ready to hear yours again?"

Reagan didn't say anything, but she knew what he was talking about. He knew that the worst moment in her life was hearing Josie scream, her blood curdling voice ringing throughout the Great Hall. Reagan nodded and looked at him. "I'll have to face it sometime."

"How's your Patronus?" he asked. "Just in case."

Reagan smiled. "Stronger than ever."

"What time do you want to leave?"

"How about I'll come over when I'm ready?" Reagan suggested. Trevor nodded and wrote his address on a slip of paper. She read it, realizing he was within walking distance from her.

"Good luck, with Brent," Trevor said.

"Thanks," Reagan said. "I'll see you later."

"Thank you, Reagan."

Reagan shrugged. "We're friends, right? This is what friends to. Go to Azkaban together."

* * *

It was hours later, towards the end of their meal and Reagan had still not mentioned anything to Brent.

"Reagan, are you all right?" Brent asked. "You've been awfully quiet tonight."

"Brent I need to talk to you about something," Reagan said. Brent looked up at her from his roast. His blue eyes were flickering in the candlelight, and panic flashed behind them.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Not exactly," Reagan replied. "There are just some things I need to tell you."

"Okay," he replied, apprehensively.

"Have you ever heard of the Connection of Three?" she asked.

He thought for a moment. "Is that the father daughter same soul one?"

She nodded. "I have one with my father."

"Is that what is it though?" he asked. "I mean the same soul part?"

"Kinda," she replied, not wanting to go into too much detail. For one she had to get through this quickly because it was getting late and she didn't want to keep Trevor waiting. And two, Brent wouldn't understand the Connection if she used too many words. "Our magic supports each other. I can feel his thoughts, his dreams, his memories, his ideas. We can't communicate telepathically, per say, but there have been times when we've thought the same thing, or dreamt the same dream or..." _been pulled into the same memory_ "well those sort of things."

"Well thats kinda cool, I guess," he said, taking up eating again. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes," she replied, and twisted her friendship ring with her other hand. "Do you remember when Witch Weekly reported that this ring I wear was an engagement ring?"

"Yeah," he said slowly.

"Well, obviously its not. My best friend and I made them when we were first years at Hogwarts."

"Reagan these things you're telling me don't seem to be that big of a deal."

"That best friend died," Reagan stated. "And because of my Connection, I had clues throughout the entire year prior to her death that she was going to die."

"Clues?"

"I dreamt it happening, just in different ways. I had images and voices in my head talking about falling down stairs. And thats how she died. She was coming down the staircase and it began to move and she lost her balance and fell."

Brent didn't say anything, and Reagan was fighting tears. She had to get through this, she had to get to Trevor and be there for him like he had been there for him.

"And I had another good friend who helped me through that. He would sit with me while I cried. He made me take care of myself when I was like a zombie. He made me get sleep, and made me realize that life wasn't over just because Josie had died."

"That was nice of Cal."

"It wasn't Cal," Reagan replied, dreading the next thing she had to tell him. "It was Trevor Daniels."

"Trevor Daniels?" Brent asked, dropping his fork. "You were friends with _him_?"

"I still am."

"You told me your brother knew him," Brent said. "You didn't mention anything about _you_ knowing him."

"Well I do," Reagan replied. "And something happened today and I need to go be with him."

"What?!" Brent cried, standing up. "You're leaving me?"

"Not leaving you, like I don't want to be with you, Brent," Reagan tried to explain. "Just for the night. I have to go somewhere with him."

"So he's more important than me now?" Brent asked. "I'm your boyfriend!"

"Yes, I know," Reagan said, pulling him back down. "But Trevor was there for me many years ago when I needed him and I can't abandon him now."

"Did his tooth get knocked out and his smile isn't perfect anymore?"

Reagan stared at Brent. Was she sensing some jealousy towards Trevor? "No, and he's not the kind person who would care. His... his parents died."

"Oh," Brent said, and Reagan could tell that he felt bad about what he had just said. "Its just for the night?"

"We're going to leave tonight, and hopefully be back by tomorrow night," Reagan replied. "I just don't know how long it will take once we get up there."

"Were are you going?"

Reagan didn't want to tell him that they were going to see Trevor's dead parents who had been in Azkaban for over twenty years because of the heinous murders they had committed.

"Some town near Azkaban," she replied. "It shouldn't take much longer than a day, and if it is then I'll owl you."

Brent sighed and Reagan wrapped her arms around his neck. "You know, this isn't how I imagined this night going," he said.

"I know and I'm sorry," her head leaning on his shoulder. "But I just found out about all of this this morning."

"I guess you do need to go and help him out," Brent said. "I love how caring of a person you are."

"Thanks," Reagan replied.

"Well I guess I should get going then," he replied, standing up. Reagan walked him to the door, before giving him a long kiss goodbye. She still liked her boyfriend, a lot, but tonight she needed to be Trevor's friend.

* * *

"How did it go?" Trevor asked as Reagan walked through his door.

"Better than I expected," Reagan replied. "I didn't realize how close you lived. You're only a couple blocks away from me."

Trevor shrugged. "I moved here years before you did."

Reagan glanced around. It was more than a flat, which is all that her brothers had described it as. It had two stories, a sitting room, dining room, and full kitchen. She assumed the bedrooms, Trevor has said he had two, were upstairs because she didn't see any unaccounted for doors from the landing where she was standing.

"Did you tell him about the Connection?"

Reagan nodded. "I don't think he got it, but he had heard of it. I told him about Josie, and about you. I'm sorry Trevor, does it bother you that I'm talking about Brent?"

"A little," Trevor replied. "But I've got to get used to it right? Go on, how did he take the news of me?"

"He was mad, thought I was leaving him when I said that you and I were leaving tonight. He sounded a bit jealous of you though."

Trevor laughed. "Jealous of what? Being an Auror? Having massive amounts of paperwork and reports and meetings and training?"

"I think he was more jealous over the Smile Award," Reagan replied. "He kinda had his heart set on it."

"He can have it!" Trevor laughed. "I didn't really want it. It has caused so much attention I'd rather not have."

"Yeah, I heard through the Potter grapevine that you've been staying here more."

Trevor nodded, looking around. "Its a nice place, but I think I want something bigger now."

"Its only you though," Reagan replied.

"But I got this when I first left Hogwarts, and I think I out grew it."

"Well we can look for a new place later," Reagan said and Trevor looked at her, not mentioning her use of the word 'we.'

"Right," he replied.

"How are we traveling?" she asked.

"The Knight Bus," he replied. "Its too far to Apparate safely, the closest Floo is too far away from Azkaban, Portkey applications take at least two weeks, regardless of the strings I tried to pull, and the Distance Jumpers don't run this late."

"Did you make reservations or are we just going to stick out our wands?"

"Both," he replied. "I made reservations and all we have to do is stick our wands because I didn't know what time to tell them."

"I came as quickly as I could," Reagan said. "I didn't want to keep you waiting."

"Thank you," Trevor said. "Thank you for doing this with me. It really does mean a lot."

"You know how you can thank me?" she asked. "Stop thanking me. Trevor, it was the least I could do after all you've done for me and put up with me. I owed you."

"So now we're even?" he asked and she nodded, smiling at him. "Darn, I liked winning for once."

"Its not something you should get used to," Reagan replied. "I am always right, and I will always win. The sooner you learn the better."

"Reagan Potter, I learned that lesson eight years ago."

"Good," she replied. "Its good to see you in a better mood." He shrugged and she followed him out the door.

He cast a few charms on his house, magically locking it and arming the alarm spells. She waited for him on the curb and then after double checking they had their identification, the paperwork he needed and checking to make sure no Muggles we watching, they stuck out their wands together. Moments later a purple triple decker bus came bounding towards them, stopping with a squeal and a hiss. The doors opened and a thin looking wizard stepped out and said, "Mr. Trevor Daniels and Miss Reagan Potter, welcome to the Knight Bus."

_A/N: Not much for me to say, hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please review! Not to long of a wait I hope! EE_


	8. Chapter Seven: The Prisoners of Azkaban

**Chapter Seven: The Prisoners of Azkaban **

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.   
  
A/N: This is kinda a dark chapter. But going to Azkaban isn't exactly fun.   
  
_Reagan was fighting the horrible feeing she had building in her stomach. She didn't know if it was because they were approaching the prison, or if it was the sudden swerving, turing and stopping that the Knight Bus was making as it bounded across the country side. Trevor gave her an encouraging smile, though she could tell he was feeling the same way she was.   
  
"We're almost to Azkaban Prison," the driver called.   
  
The tall lanky man who had welcomed them onto the bus looked at them and gave them a lop sided grin, his ears seeming larger than normal. "All right back there?"   
  
"Never better," Reagan replied, swallowing the urge to see her dinner again.   
  
"Yer a Potter, right?" he asked eyeing her.   
  
"Yes," she replied, clutching the cold metal of the hand rail.   
  
"I met yer father once," he said. "Ol' Neville, funny lad."   
  
"And you are?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Stan Shunpike," he replied. "Nice to meet you both."   
  
"Pleasure," Reagan replied.   
  
"Yer an Auror, right?" Stan asked Trevor. "What you two doin' goin' up to Azkaban? They still got them Dementors up theer. Scary folk those are."   
  
"We'll be fine," Trevor replied. "And our business is our own."   
  
"Azkaban Prison!" the driver called and the bus came to an abrupt halt. Trevor caught Reagan as she toppled over and they exited the Knight Bus, passing Stan their fares as they walked past him in the doorway.   
  
"See ya!" Stan cried, waving madly from the doorway, the light from inside accentuating is skinny silhouette. Moments later the bus was gone.   
  
"And we have to take that back?" Reagan asked, glancing at Trevor.   
  
"Unfortunately," he replied. "And as much as I would like a long break in between ridding that thing, I don't want to be up here any longer than we need to be."   
  
"Is it colder because we're near Dementors?" she asked, casting a warming charm on her cloak and then one on Trevor's.   
  
"Probably. But we are fairly far north, and it is the middle of December."   
  
"True," she replied. "How are we going to get there?"   
  
Trevor followed her gaze and realized they were standing near a bank of an immense body of water, a small rock island visible in the distance, the early morning light softly lighting the surroundings. There was a rickety dock with a single boat and a small run down hut at the edge of the water, neither looked durable or from this century. A large sign read "Azkaban Fortress" with an image of a hand pointing towards the hut. A soft light flickered through the cracks and there was a rundown sign on the door that read "Dock Hand."   
  
"Trevor, I'd rather swim across that channel than spend any time in that boat," Reagan stated.   
  
"Swim?" Trevor asked. "Reagan, we'd freeze."   
  
"I could cast a thick charm on our fur," Reagan said.   
  
"Sammy and Moussey are not swimming to Azkaban," Trevor said, stepping towards the hut. "I think we should ask who ever is in there."   
  
"Because he has another way to get there?" Reagan asked.   
  
"He might have a Portkey or something," Trevorreplied. "I find it hard to believe that they transport people to the prison in that boat."   
  
So they walked the few yards to the hut and casually knocked on the door, careful not to knock too hard. Reagan don't think she would be able to control her laughter if this hut fell over.   
  
There was movement inside the hut, and an eye appeared through a peek hole. It looked at each of them before opening the door.   
  
"You've come to see the Prisoners?" a man asked, though Reagan wasn't so sure he was a human at all, much less a man. His head was a messy mop of dirty hair, its natural color unknown. Smudges of dirt and grime indicated that there was no running water to bathe with. And the sadness and emptiness behind the stone cold eyes gave them an idea of what you become when you live this close to Dementors.   
  
Reagan glanced at Trevor and replied, "Er, yeah."   
  
"Of Azkaban?" he asked again.   
  
_No of Alcatraz,_ she thought sarcastically,remembering a trip she took with Ali and Ryan once. "Yes, of Azkaban."   
  
"We don't get too many visitors," he said. "It makes them hungry."   
  
"The prisoners?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Of Azkaban? No," he said shaking his head. "The dark ones that guard the prisoners. The prisoners of Azkaban."   
  
"We're supposed to meet a..." Trevor began, glancing at his parchment, "A Mr. Thachard."   
  
"Thats me," the man replied. "You must be Mr. Daniels. I knew who you were of course. Like I said, we don't get too many visitors up here."   
  
"Then you know why I've come," Trevor said.   
  
"Yeah," Thachard replied slowly, looking intently atTrevor. "Well I guess you'll want to get it over with."   
  
"As soon as possible," Trevor said. "How are we getting to the prison?"   
  
"You see that boat there?" Thachard replied, pointingat the tethered boat in the water. Reagan fought the urge to groan. "Well its quite comfortable and swift. I tried fixing it up once, but my magic doesn't work right on it."   
  
"Great," Reagan replied.   
  
"Give me a moment to lock the place up," Thachard said and stepped back inside.   
  
"Trevor, I don't want to die in that boat," Reagan said, stepping towards the boat, pulling up her sleeves.   
  
"Reagan, he said that magic doesn't work on it," Trevor said.   
  
"He said his magic," Reagan replied, breathing on her hands to warm them up. "But mine is different." She shook her hands to loosen them up before pointing at the boat and saying, _"Infereno! Sealent conius aquarius! Plusheri rerum!_"   
  
A few jets of light, one lavender, one gold and one blue, shot from Reagan's hand and landed on the boat, coating it in magical color before disappearing.   
  
"What did you do?"   
  
"Warmed it, sealed it and padded it," Reagan replied.   
  
"And wandless magic will work on it?" he asked.   
  
"Different magic, different rules," Reagan replied, quoting him.   
  
"I wish your warming spells would work for my hands," Trevor said.   
  
"Here," she said taking her hands. _Infereno!_ she thought and she could feel heat passing from her hands to Trevor's. "There, better?"   
  
"Tons," he replied, looking at her.   
  
"Anything else need warming up?" she asked.   
  
Trevor shook his head, swallowing. "Nope, that should do it."   
  
"You two ready?" Thachard asked, coming down the slight bank towards them. Trevor held the boat as Reagan and Thachard got in, Thachard bellowing orders at him. Trevor complied with each one, and even rowed half way out across the channel before Reagan cast a charm on the ores so they rowed themselves.   
  
"See, this old things not too shabby," Thachard said as they traveled across the water. Reagan caught Trevor's eye and they both snickered quietly to themselves.   
  
"You two engaged?" Thachard asked.   
  
"Us?" Trevor asked, looking at Reagan.   
  
"No," Reagan replied. "Why?"   
  
"Thought that ring you wear was an engagement ring," Thachard said.   
  
"No, this is something else," Reagan replied, turning the ring with her hand.   
  
"We are just friends," Trevor said to him.   
  
"Some hell of a friend to come all the way out here with you," Thachard replied.   
  
"Yeah she is," Trevor said, looking at Reagan. "She thinks she owed me."   
  
"Its one of those things you learn after you're away from them for a while," Reagan said.   
  
"What things?" Trevor asked.   
  
"A lesson almost," Reagan replied. "That you have to be there for your friends, because they are you friends and they wouldn't desert you, and they've been there for you when you needed them. Even when you don't say goodbye, or write for four years, or hide things from them."   
  
Trevor smiled at her. "So I get to be your friend again?"   
  
Reagan nodded.   
  
"Even if Brent doesn't like it?"   
  
"Even if Brent doesn't like it," Reagan replied.   
  
"Do you realize that this means I owe James four Galleons?"   
  
"What?" Reagan asked.   
  
"James bet me four Galleons that you would want to be my friend again."   
  
"You bet him on that?" Reagan asked, laughing. "James never bets on anything he doesn't know the outcome of."   
  
"I know, and thats why I probably shouldn't have taken the bet," Trevor said.   
  
"Probably not!" Reagan laughed. "Don't ever trust a Potter when they want to bet you something, because we never bet unless we know we're going to win."   
  
"You're a Potter?" Thachard asked, his eyes growing big. Reagan rolled her eyes and focused her energy on speeding up the ores she had a magical hold of, hoping it would get them to Azkaban faster.

* * *

"Julius is through those doors," Thachard said, pointing towards a thick black door. "She'll take you where you need to go." Trevor clutched the papers in his hand and took a few steps towards the door.   
  
"Aren't you coming inside?" Reagan asked.   
  
Thachard shook his head, his eyes growing with fear. "I don't go near those dark things. I don't like what they make me hear."   
  
Reagan nodded, and Trevor knew she understood what he meant.   
  
"I'll be out here when you're ready to go."   
  
Trevor took the lead up the stairs, Reagan close behind him. He truly was grateful for her for coming with him. His day had been so long and drawn out and it was nice to see her and spend time with just her, regardless of the circumstances. Though if she took his hands and magically heated them again, he wasn't sure if he would make it through the evening without ruining their good standings. Besides, he was sure the reasoning for his warm hands had little to do with magic and more to do with the fact that Reagan had been standing inches from him, holding his hands in hers. He could have cast a warming charm. It just worked better the way Reagan did it.   
  
"Do we just knock?" she asked. He looked at the door and saw no distinct door knob, knocker or way to make ot move other than magic. He was cold, but it wasn't the air that was making him shiver. He felt Reagan tense beside him and she had her eyes closed, trying to control her breathing.   
  
Somewhere far away someone was screaming and Trevor shook his head.   
  
"There's a Dementor right on the other side of that door," Reagan replied. "And do you know what is worse?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"I think I hear my father's worst moments along with mine."   
  
"We can go back--" he began.   
  
"No, Trevor, we came this far," she replied, opening her eyes and looking at him. "I'll be okay."   
  
The screaming in his head went away and he knocked on the door. A moment or two passed where the water crashing against the rocks below and their steady breathing was the only thing he heard. Then the door began to slide to one side and a tall witch was standing on the other side.   
  
"Are you Julius?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Yes," she replied, her voice raspy and hoarse, sounding like she never used it.   
  
"I'm Trevor Daniels, I'm here for Corbin and Celia Daniels."   
  
"Please follow me," she replied. Trevor glanced at Reagan, taking the last few steps and entered the prison with Reagan at his heels.

* * *

Reagan was trying her best to ignore the constant screaming in her head. She had one woman screaming, _"No! Not Harry!"_ and another voice was Josie's. One was her voice, screaming in pain after being hit with the Cruciatus Curse and another was hearing her mum scream after being with the same Unforgivable.   
  
She knew it would be like this, her father had warned her. She knew he was trying to keep his mind shut, so his worst memories didn't seep into her. But as she walked through Azkaban prison, she was plagued with an intense migraine.   
  
They followed her in silence down a long dark corridor. The witch checked their identification and made sure that all Trevor's paperwork was in order. Reagan gave him an encouraging smile and squeezed his hand before he stepped into the room where his parent's bodies were. Reagan looked at the small box of things that had belonged to his parents. There were clippings out of newspapers and magazines, all about Trevor. They seemed to have every article written about him. There were a few pictures, mostly of Trevor as he was growing up. Reagan picked up one, and saw that it was before his parents had been captured.   
  
Reagan held it closer to the candle light, and she could make out a dark haired wizard, and a dark haired woman, holding a bundle of blankets, the dark hair of the baby inside barely visible.   
  
"That my mum, dad and me," Trevor said from behind her. He took the photo from her and looked at it. "I had the same one growing up."   
  
"Your mum is pretty," Reagan said. "And you look just like your dad."   
  
"She was pretty," Trevor replied, not looking up from the photo. The image of his mum turned and smiled an evil grin at his father who nodded at his wife and son. "And you look more like your dad than I do mine. They don't look anything like this now."   
  
Reagan nodded and Trevor put the photo back into the box.   
  
"What are you going to do with that stuff?" Reagan asked.   
  
"Burn it with their bodies," Trevor replied. "I didn't know them, Reagan. And even if I had, they weren't people I would have wanted to know. The are the kind of people who I incarcerate now. They aren't my parents. They didn't raise me."   
  
"I know, Trevor," Reagan replied, cautiously. "But are you sure you want to destroy that stuff? I mean, theyhave all those clippings of you."   
  
"Julius said my mum was a bit obsessed with me," Trevor said. "She said that they hadn't spoken a word in almost ten years until my mum caught sight of my face on _Medicinal Magic Today_ three years ago, and she said it was like she woke up."   
  
"She must have recognized you," Reagan said.   
  
"Except my mum called me Corbin, my father's name," Trevor replied. "She was mad. Demanded a copy of every magical publication be sent to her. Julius said she kept repeating 'I must seem my Corbin, I must see my baby.' Then the winners of the Smile award were announced and Julius said to her, 'Look, your son's won another award.'"   
  
"So your mum knew about the Smile award?"   
  
"Yeah," Trevor replied. "And screamed at Julius,saying that I wasn't her son, that I was the worst traitor a mother could ever have because I was a Slytherin who worked for Harry Potter. Then she screamed herself to death."   
  
Reagan didn't say anything. She was horrified that Trevor's mum could hate him so much. And the thought of someone screaming them self to death was disturbing.   
  
"She screamed and screamed and screamed, until her larynx burst. And my father, who was still catatonic, smashed his head up against the wall to block out her screams."   
  
"Trevor, I--"   
  
"These people weren't my parents, Reagan," Trevor said to her, picking up the box. "They are nothing to me. I knew that some day I would have to come up here and deal with them. But as far as I'm concerned they never existed. And when my children go to their Grandma's house, I'll be taking them to my Aunt Sarah's."   
  
Reagan watched him leave the room again, into the room where the bodies were. She caught a glimpse of his mum as he was closing the door. She was pale, with a sunken in face, her mouth contorted, her eyes black and full of hate, and a huge gash on her throat where her larynx had exploded.

* * *

After another exhilarating ride on the Knight Bus, Reagan was back in her own home, but only long enough to watch Trevor walk down the street till he was out if sight. It was mid day, the sun was out and the temperature was much warmer but she was still cold. The image and thought of Trevor's screaming mum was burned into her vision and there was only one place she needed to be.   
  
She Apparated to the front lawn of her parent's house and smiled. She was hungry, and nothing sounded better than her mum's cooking.   
  
"Hello?" she called, stepping inside. "Mum? Dad?"   
  
"Reagan?" her mum's voice called, and moments later Ginny appeared in the entry. "Oh your back!"   
  
"We just got back," Reagan said, giving her mother a hug. Ginny hugged her daughter back, a bit bewildered at Reagan's affections.   
  
"Thank you mum," Reagan said.   
  
"For what?"   
  
"For being my mum. For you and Dad and everything you did for me and taught me and loved me."   
  
"I take it the trip to Azkaban was not a pleasant one?" Harry asked, coming down the stairs.   
  
Reagan shook her head. "I never realized how much hate someone could have."   
  
"Was Trevor pretty upset?" Ginny asked. "I know he wasn't too fond of his parents."   
  
"He was all right," Reagan replied. "But Trevor didn't care either way. Dead or alive, his parents were nothing to him. But Trevor's mum, she hated him so much, and screamed about it so much that it killed her. And his dad, smashed his head into the wall to drive out the noise."   
  
"Azkaban drives people mad," Harry replied.   
  
"Dad, you might have nightmares about all this," Reagan replied. "It was that horrible."   
  
"Thanks for the warning," Harry said. "How were you? How is your head?"   
  
"I still have a slight head ache," Reagan replied. "Thanks for keeping your mind under control."   
  
"You're welcome," Harry replied.   
  
"Reagan, have you had any chocolate?" Ginny asked.   
  
Reagan nodded. "Trevor and I each ate at least fifteen chocolate frogs on the way back. Which reminds me, here Dad." Reagan pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it to her father.   
  
"You never mentioned being on a Chocolate Frog Card, Harry," Ginny replied, taking the card from him.   
  
"It was over twenty years ago and you were a little pregnant and dragon like," Harry replied. "That was around the time James was born. I tried to ignore it."   
  
"I was a bit shocked to pop a chocolate frog into my mouth, thinking to see Merlin or someone else on the card and see my dad's face staring up at me," Reagan replied.   
  
"Well if you think Trevor has a tough time with this Smile Award, it is nothing compared to having you face put on a Chocolate card because you cast a spell."   
  
"That just happened to defeat the darkest wizard of our time," Ginny commented.   
  
Harry shrugged. "Besides I don't think they made very many of these."   
  
"Which is why its going into my card collection," Reagan replied.   
  
"Don't you think you're a little old for a Chocolate Frog Card collection?" Ginny asked, handing the card back to her daughter.   
  
"Probably," Reagan replied. "Its one of those things I can give to my children."   
  
"Children?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Well, none as of yet," Reagan replied, and seeing the shocked looks on her parent's faces she laughed. "And not any time soon!"   
  
Ginny's face relaxed a little. "Well, I'm glad your back."   
  
"Where was Trevor off to today?" Harry asked.   
  
"He said he was going to go to his aunt and uncle's," Reagan replied. "I decided I wanted to be here today so I zapped on over."   
  
"Well, you are just in time," Ginny said. "I have an apple pie in the oven, and your father has been asking for a pumpkin one all day."   
  
"She's lying," Harry whispered to Reagan as Ginny went ahead into the kitchen. "She just wants to make more pies."   
  
"Right, Dad," Reagan replied, knowing from the feeling in her mind that he was not being completely honest.

* * *

Trevor walked briskly down the street, going over the day's events in his head. He knew it wasn't going to be pleasant going to Azkaban, and he desperately wanted to see his Aunt and Uncle, to thank them. But he also didn't want to be alone the rest of the day.   
  
Making up his mind, he turned around and doubled back to Reagan's house.   
  
After knocking on the door, calling her name and magically scanning the house for her, he realized she wasn't there.   
  
Stepping back from her front door, still expecting her to come walking out, he racked his brain as to where she could have gone.   
  
"She had been fairly shaken up," he said to himself. "She probably didn't want to spend the day alone either. And who do you go to when you don't want to be alone?"   
  
Trevor sighed, not wanting to answer himself. He shook his head, and his mood fell even farther. Feeling as though he and Reagan had just taken a step backwards from where they were an hour before, he hurried down the street to his own place.   
  
"It makes sense, though," he said out loud. "When I'm upset, I turn to the woman I love. When she is, she goes to the man she loves."   
  
Trevor thought for a moment, not wanting to realize that Reagan had gone to Brent's. He hurt more than he was when Julius had told him how his parents had died and realized that whatever he and Reagan had before she left for America was no longer there. He didn't want it to be true, he didn't want to loose her. But she had moved on.   
  
"And its time that you did too," he said to himself.   
  
_A/N: Thought you all would like a faster upload. This chapter came out faster than I expected so I decided to give you all a surprise treat. Enjoy, and please review!!!!_


	9. Chapter Eight: Who's the Blond Stranger?

**Chapter Eight: Who's the blond Stranger?**   
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own what you recognize; therefore what you don't recognize I do own. Kinda. Not officially, or legally, but I made up all the stuff that Ms. Rowling didn't. (Obviously!)   
  
A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I've been having some computer problems.   
  
_Trevor paused in the doorway to the main courtroom, jotting down a last few notes from the Animagent meeting he had just come out of.   
  
"Lieutenant," James said, walking up next to him. "How was your trip this weekend?"   
  
Trevor looked up at him. "Not as bad as I thought. It was bad, mind you, but the company was enjoyable. In fact, I owe you four Galleons."   
  
"See!" James replied, grinning. "What did I tell you?"   
  
"You were right," Trevor said, fishing the coins from his pocket. "However, friendship is all I think I'm ever going to get."   
  
"This Brent thing will pass," James said. "Besides, at least you are speaking now."   
  
"Yeah," Trevor said, handing James the Galleons. "But I think I'm going to start to move on. I've held on this long. Its getting old."   
  
"She'll come around," James replied.   
  
"I don't know," Trevor said. "I don't know if I want to wait."   
  
"You just have to decide whether its worth it or not."   
  
"I'm beginning to feel like its not."   
  
"Well, just hang in there," James said, and glanced at his watch. "Damn, I've got to go. Erika will kill me if I'm late again."   
  
"You'd better run then," Trevor replied, and James dashed off down the corridor.   
  
"Lieutenant!" someone called, and Trevor turned to see a fellow Auror walking up to him.   
  
"Hello, Corporal Simms," he said to her. "Looking forward to the training exercise tonight?"   
  
Anne Marie Simms laughed. "Actually I am. Its exciting to be doing something other than paperwork."   
  
"I agree with you there," he said, and they walked down the hall.   
  
"I was on my way to get something for lunch," she said. "Would you like to join me?"   
  
Trevor looked at her, and smiled. Her long dark blond hair was falling softly on her shoulders and down her back, her gray eyes shinning at him like silver Sickles.   
  
"I mean, if its not too much to ask of a _Witch Weekly's_ Most Charming Smile Award winner," she said, laughing.   
  
"It might be," he replied. "But I think can make an exception."   
  
"Well thank you for your generosity," she replied.   
  
"Did you have someplace in mind?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Anywhere but the Ministry cafeteria."   
  
"Thats fine with me," he said. "Let me drop these papers off in my office and we'll be off."   
  
"Sounds good," she replied, smiling at him.

* * *

Reagan left the courtroom a little late, having many Aurors asking her question after the meeting. She was not too excited about having to go on a training exercise tonight, though James had informed her she needed to be there.   
  
_Bloody Aurors and their rules,_ she thought, stuffing files into her bag. As she walked up the stairs she glanced around for Trevor. She had seen him at the meeting, but he hadn't stopped to say anything afterwards.   
  
She spotted him in the lift line talking to an attractive blond witch. Reagan was about to ignore it and laugh, assuming it was just another secretary who was annoyingly snapping her gum (there had been tons of them lately), but stopped, realizing that this new blond was an Auror, and they were laughing about something. Reagan had see her in the Animagent meeting, and hadn't thought she looked to bright.   
  
Reagan made her way through the lift line, watching them from a few paces back. They got onto a lift and rode it out of her eye sight, and she felt an strange twinge of jealousy. It was the first woman she'd seen make Trevor laugh like that.   
  
She rode the lift to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, deciding to talk James out of making her go on something she felt she didn't need to go on. She stepped off the lift and made her way to the Auror headquarters, going over what her argument to her brother was going to be, when she saw Trevor and the blond Auror standing beside the door to his office. James' office was adjacent to Trevor's, so making sure her ID badge was clipped onto her blouse, she set off in a true Gryffindor style.   
  
"Hello Trevor," she said, walking up to him.   
  
He looked at her and smiled.   
  
"Hello," he said. "Reagan, this is Corporal Simms."   
  
"Anne Marie," she said, introducing herself. "Nice to meet you."   
  
"Reagan Potter," Reagan replied, accentuating her last name. "Good meeting, don't you think?"   
  
"I felt it was very productive," Anne Marie replied. "I can't wait for the training tonight. Are you coming?"   
  
"Reagan doesn't come to the training," Trevor interjected. "They are for the Aurors only."   
  
"Thats right," Anne Marie said. "You're one of the junior Advisors, aren't you?"   
  
"Senior Magical Advisor, actually," Reagan replied. "And I will be at the training tonight."   
  
"You will?" asked a surprised Trevor.   
  
"That was actually what I am here for, to talk to my brother about it," Reagan said. "Have you seen him?"   
  
"He said something about meeting Erika," Trevor replied.   
  
"Damn," Reagan said. "I'll have to owl him then."   
  
"Why are you coming to this training?" Trevor asked.   
  
"Your guess is as good as mine," Reagan replied. "There is a reason I am an Advisor and not an Auror, and this is completely breaking my Advisor only status."   
  
"I'm sure Lieutenant Potter has his reasons," Anne Marie said.   
  
"Lets hope," Reagan replied, checking her watch. "Trevor, I don't have to be back for another two hours, we start to test out the Containment Charm we've been working on. Do you have plans for lunch?"   
  
Trevor glanced at Anne Marie. "Actually, I do have plans."   
  
"Oh," Reagan said, trying her best to cover up her initial shock.   
  
"Can I take a rain check, though?" he asked.   
  
"Definitely," Reagan nodded. "My father is free, maybe I'll bring him some lunch. He hasn't eaten all day."   
  
"Captain Potter has been in meetings all day," Anne Marie said. "You sure he'll have time?"   
  
"Trust me, he's free," Reagan replied, wanting to throw her copy of _The Connection of Three and How It Pertains To Me_ at her. Thankfully she did not have it with her.   
  
"If you say so," Anne Marie replied, glancing at Trevor.   
  
"Have a nice lunch," Reagan said.   
  
"It was nice meeting you," Anne Marie said, smiling at her.   
  
"And you," Reagan replied. She watched Trevor and Anne Marie leave the Auror Headquarters and wanted to die on the spot.

* * *

"Honestly, I do not remember you at Hogwarts," Trevor said, laughing. "You couldn't have been that far behind me!"   
  
"I was only two years," she replied, sipping at her water. "I was in Ravenclaw. "   
  
"Ah, so are you as clever as they claim?" he asked.   
  
"You tell me," she replied. "I did get you to come to lunch with me. Apparently you are one of the hardest Aurors to get a lunch date with."   
  
"True," he said. "But I still don't remember you."   
  
"I didn't stand out," Anne Marie said. "I wasn't a prefect, and I didn't play Quidditch. I was in the Dueling club my sixth and seventh year, attended a few Defense club meetings, and I did good academically. I was perfectly content not making a scene."   
  
"Ah, consider yourself lucky," he replied.   
  
"You didn't stand out too much," she said. "I mean, other than being a decent Slytherin. Did you play Quidditch?"   
  
Trevor shook his head. "Nope. I was to busy studying."   
  
"Yeah, I was also," she replied. There was a moment of silence which the waiter broke as he came and took their orders.   
  
"You know, I've been wanting to meet Reagan Potter," Anne Marie said. "Her ideas and theories on magic are fascinating."   
  
"I don't know where she comes up with some of the things she does," Trevor said.   
  
"And she's the _Senior_ Magical Advisor?" she asked. "Isn't she as old as you are?"   
  
"A year younger," Trevor replied. "Believe it or not, there was no one as qualified as she was."   
  
"You mean no one else was an Animagus?"   
  
"Partly," Trevor replied. "But she's quite brilliant. She could give her father and her brother a run for their money."   
  
"So why is she not an Auror?"   
  
Trevor shrugged. "I guess everyone expected her to go that way, after her father and her brother did. But Reagan has never really done what everyone expects her to. She's always tried to do something better than the expectations."   
  
"Where has she been?" Anne Marie asked. "I mean, I don't remember seeing her with the Animagents before last summer."   
  
"She went to some school in America," Trevor replied, not wanting to talk about Reagan anymore.   
  
"And she works in the Department of Experimental Magic?" Anne Marie asked, and Trevor nodded. "A girl I knew from my dormitory works there, maybe she could get me a meeting with her, you know break the ice or something."   
  
"You could just ask her," Trevor replied.   
  
"Well she is Captain Potter's daughter," Anne Marie replied matter of factly. "It tends to make most of us nervous."   
  
"She's not as un approachable as she seems."   
  
"You seem to know a lot about her."   
  
Trevor shrugged. "Her brother raves about her."

* * *

"You have to do WHAT?" Brent asked, his head green in her fireplace.   
  
Reagan sighed. She did not want to go to a training exercise. She did not want to go and run around outside all night long. She did not want to break her dinner plans with her boyfriend. And she really didn't want to be around Trevor and Miss Blond Auror.   
  
"I have to work," she replied.   
  
"I don't understand why," Brent replied. "I mean, doesn't the Ministry close?"   
  
"It never really closes," Reagan replied. "And its not Constructing work I have to do."   
  
"What other work would you have?"   
  
"I am an advisor for an Auror unit," she replied. "We have a field training exercise."   
  
"At night?" he asked.   
  
"Yes."   
  
"This is ridiculous!"   
  
"I'm not that happy about this either, Brent," she replied. "But James is making me go. And since he's the Commanding Officer, and I'm the Advisor, I have to go."   
  
"Your brother won't let you get out of it?" he asked and Reagan shook her head.   
  
"I tried."   
  
"I still don't understand how he can make you work at night," Brent said. "You're not an Auror, so I don't understand what you could possibly have to do."   
  
"If I could tell you I would, Brent," she replied. "But its kinda confidential."   
  
"How confidential?" he asked. "Is it just that you can't tell me?"   
  
"I can't talk to anyone about it or the specifics of it," she replied. "If I do I'll be transported to my father's office with an A etched into my forehead."   
  
"That doesn't sound so bad," he replied. "I mean, your dad wouldn't be mad if you ust explained that it was me."   
  
"It doesn't work like that," Reagan replied. "Auror and confidential stuff stays at work. He can't and doesn't tell my mum loads of things."   
  
"And she's okay with that? She's okay not knowing what her husband is doing?"   
  
"She got used to it," Reagan said. "Its part of his job and she accepted that. Just like you need to except it. I'm sorry Brent."   
  
He grumbled something and nodded. That was the best she was going to get out of him in the amount of time she had before she had to leave. She said she was sorry again and bid him goodnight before shutting off the fire, with the promise of a rain check on their dinner date.   
  
"Rain checks seem to be the theme for the day," she muttered to herself.

* * *

_Why the bloody hell does James have us outside, at night, in the middle of December on the Chudley Cannons' Quidditch pitch?_ Reagan asked herself, pulling her cloak tighter around her as she set off across the pitch.   
  
"Because James has connections with the Chudley Cannons," she replied out loud. "Yeah, okay, thanks Dad. Now please get out of my head. There is no telling what you might find in there..."   
  
She stormed across the wet grass, through the groups of Animagents, towards the bottom of the Quidditch stands where James was standing speaking to a few Aurors.   
  
"What was so bloody important that I be here for?" Reagan cried, walking up to her brother. James turned and looked at her, and behind him were three other Aurors, Trevor, Anne Marie and another wizard she didn't recognize.   
  
"Good evening to you too, Reagan," James replied, crossing his arms. "I assume you're ready to go?"   
  
"Ready as I'll ever be," she said.   
  
"Lieutenant, Corporal, Sergeant," he said, turning to the other Aurors behind him. "We'll get started now."   
  
Trevor nodded and the two other Aurors followed him, looking apprehensively at her.   
  
"Its not like I didn't have _plans,_ James," Reagan said to her brother as Trevor passed.   
  
James cast a Silencing charm around them and narrowed his eyes. "Listen, Reagan, you are here as an Advisor. There for you are under _my_ command, Auror or not. Don't ever disrespect me in front of my Aurors again, or I will make sure that you are removed from this unit."   
  
Reagan glared at her brother. "The agreement when I accepted _your_ offer to be _your_ Advisor was that I would be strictly _an advisor_. Meaning advice only. I would not be trained, tested or evaluated as you would an Auror. What do you think this is?"   
  
"Our agreement, Reagan, was that the training and evaluations would not be required, however some would be recommended," James replied. "Besides, you're not here to be trained. I'm not going to evaluate you."   
  
"Then why am I here?" she asked.   
  
"Because I need you to see first hand what we do," James replied. "I need you to watch and observe my Animagents in action. I need your advice, suggestions and input on what we could improve, magically."   
  
"You want me to watch?" she asked.   
  
"Yes," James replied. "We've been putting your techniques to use and I need you to critique them."   
  
Reagan sighed. This was a part of her job she couldn't argue out of.   
  
"Fine, where do you want me?"   
  
"Press box," James replied, pointing towards a large room at the top of the stadium.   
  
"Oh," she replied, and walked with him up the stairs. "Sorry 'bout yelling at you."   
  
"S'all right," James shrugged. "But you can't have it both ways you know."   
  
"Have what both ways?"   
  
"Well you can't refuse special treatment one moment and then demand it the next," James replied. "And you can't expect us all to treat you like and adult when you act like a child."   
  
Reagan sighed. "Yes I'm beginning to see that... About both things."   
  
"Good," James said, and opened the door to the press room. "Here we are."   
  
Reagan walked into a large room with twenty or so chairs all aligned in a row. A huge glass window gave her an almost bird's eye view of the field.   
  
"The window has been charmed to show you team A, in blue, and team B, in red. They are going to switch off as the offense and defenses, Animagents as defense and insurgents as offense. We'll run through some exercises, and then bring everyone in for a briefing. Be prepared to say something then, and after that everyone is free to do home."   
  
"This is brilliant James," she said, admiring the glass. There were little names attached to each figure moving around. Reagan could see a little blue figure with a "T. Daniels" beside it standing next to another figure with an "A. Simms" beside it.   
  
"Its useful for the reporters and the Wizard Wireless announcers during Quidditch matches," James replied. "That way they can keep a better account of what is going on in the game. It works well for us as well. You can tell whats going on on the field without having to be down there. And you can note the actions of specific individuals."   
  
"It looks a bit like the Marauders Map," Reagan said and James nodded.   
  
"Apparently Grandpa James and Uncle Remus weren't the only ones to discover that charm. Now I've got to get back down there. I'll signal for you when we're done." He paused and handed her a large roll of parchment and a quill kit. "Make sure to take notes. And make sure to watch everyone, not just Trevor and Corporal Simms."   
  
"I'll make sure I give everyone my equal attention," Reagan replied, sneering at her brother in the dark.   
  
He left and she took a seat in one of the chairs and sighed.   
  
_At least I don't have to run around with them,_ she thought.   
  
"It would have been fun to run around with Trevor again," she said out loud and laughed. "I doubt Brent would ever be up to turning into an animal and running around all night long... not that Brent has Animagus abilities... or that he knows I do..."   
  
Reagan was lost in her thoughts for a moment until the figures on the window started moving around in a more organized way. It was like watching a movie screen (she had seen one once with her cousins in America and thought it was fascinating). Each figure had a small name attached to it, and the figure was wither red or blue. Each time magic was used, a line illuminated it and traced it from its caster to where the spell hit, with an incantation and spell name appearing next to it.   
  
She watched as the group of fifty or so Aurors ran through their exercises, taking notes and jotting down thoughts the entire time. Trevor was one of the best ones, as far as magic went, and he was quick, able to avoid spells and change in and out of his Animagus form simultaneously. There were others also, Rimmwood, Giles and Macknemera were all good also. There were fifteen or so that Reagan could tell did not quiet understand the meaning of stealth, quickness or agility, and three that she wondered how they became Aurors in the first place. Anne Marie, to Reagan's great dislike, was in the middle, but above the average. She wasn't the best one on the field, but she also was well above the worst.   
  
After an hour or so, the figures stopped running around in their defense and attack formations and she could tell James was signaling for her to come down. She capped the ink, gathered her parchments and quill and Apparated down to the field.   
  
_I should have walked,_ she thought as James drones on, briefing his Aurors. She tried to think of what she was going to say. What advise did she have to give? Over the past few months, she had lectured about their magic needing to be second nature, about how they needed to read up on their defense spells and offensive curses and just basic defense magic. _"The better you know the basics and the theories, the easier the advanced stuff will be,"_ she had told them. She had received quite a few snickers after that meeting but she had expected it. Unfortunately for her she was only an advisor, and she was only advising them; no one actually had to do what she suggested.   
  
"Do you have anything to add, Reagan?" James said to her and she snapped out of her thoughts.   
  
"Not really anything new without repeating myself," she replied. "Practice won't make perfect, but it will make your magic stronger, and your reflexes better. Even if you just practice the incantations, it will make it less likely for any slip ups or mispronunciations when you really need to say them correctly. I saw a lot of _Erestio Momentus_ instead of _Aresto Momentum,_ and I'm sure many of you were confused when you got a rush of bright pink cold air and not a slowed down attacker."   
  
"I noticed at as well," James said. "Be careful when you pronounce your spells. This is first year stuff, I expect you all to be far above this!"   
  
"Other than that I was really impressed," Reagan said, looking directly at Trevor. Luckily for him it was dark and she couldn't see him blush. Or perhaps it was a bit unlucky for him.   
  
Reagan didn't linger on the field longer than she had to. Seeing it was still before midnight, she wanted to get in touch with Brent as soon as possible in hopes they could still have dinner.   
  
Walking into her house, she got a wonderful surprise. Her darkened living room was illuminated with burning candles of every shape and size, the small and quiet flames flickering in the cold winter breeze.   
  
"I decided that since you could not come out to dinner, then dinner would come to you."   
  
Reagan beamed at Brent, who was leaning against the kitchen door frame.   
  
"How did you know when I would be home?" she asked, pulling off her heaving winter cloak.   
  
"I asked your father," he said.   
  
"My father?"   
  
"Well, I had to chat with him about something else and while I was there I asked him how long these things usually take. You said it was an Auror training, and he is an Auror having attended many training in his career, so I thought he might know."   
  
"I'm still amazed you went and talked to my father," Reagan said, taking a few steps toward him, careful not to knock over and candles.   
  
"Well," Brent said, putting his arms around her, "I can be pretty amazing."   
  
"Oh can you?" she asked, smiling at him. "I take it your not mad anymore?"   
  
"Now that our evening is back on track, no I'm no longer mad."   
  
"And what do you have planned for this evening?" she asked.   
  
"Dinner," he said, kissing her softly. "And some wine."   
  
"Sounds good."   
  
"And then some dessert."   
  
"Mmmmm."   
  
"And we'll try and make an early evening out of it," he said. "I have an early practice tomorrow so I should have you in bed by one, two at the latest."   
  
Reagan eyed him. "You'll have me in bed."   
  
Brent grinned at her. "I'm only joking with you."   
  
"You'd better be," she smiled at him. "Now come on, I'm hungry."   
  
"Yes mam'm," he replied and she followed him into the kitchen.   
  
_He had better be joking,_ Reagan thought as he handed her a plate of pasta.   
  
Brent had never stayed the night at her place, and she had never stay at his, no matter how late their dates had gone. And the only thing that made their dates go late was some heavy snogging, they had never done anything more. It wasn't that she had never done more, because she had, or that she didn't want to do more with Brent, because she did. Fact was that she really didn't have a good reason why she and Brent had not done more physically, she just knew she wanted to wait. Besides, the only other person she had ever done anything more with was currently avoiding her and Reagan didn't want to think about what he was doing with his new Blond Auror friend.   
  
So instead she focused on her dinner and her amazingly beautiful and charming boyfriend sitting across the table from her.   
  
_A/N 2: So I have decided on a few things. One, ridding a broomstick is the equivalent of riding a motorcycle. Having to experience on either, I don't know how I cam to this revelation, but I decided that they were the same. Two, I have found my Brent. Because I am a bit odd, I always imagine my fics a movies, and I always wonder who would play who. I know who I want for Brent, Trevor, James and Reagan. Some of the others are tricky. But I am excited because I found my Brent. I won't say who I think should play which character, I want to know who you all think should be cast as my characters. Please leave a review (or send me an owl) and let me know!   
  
I had to add some fluffy Reagan/Brent time in there, because they are really cute together. Its just hard for me to get that across. Reagan really does like him, even through his arrogance. He is a good guy! A bit of an idiot sometimes, but his hart is in the right place... usually.   
  
After writing the Floo scene between Reagan and Brent, I realized that in my head I had cast a Brit playing an American Quidditch player. Oh well.   
  
Disclaimer 2: I don't own the chapter title either, its from a Jimmy Buffett song. _

A/N 3: Added July 13, 2004

To my dearest fans,   
  
I want to take a moment to apologize for not updating any of my fics in many many weeks. The answer is simple: I am in a rut. I have hit a huge brick wall of writer's block. I have about half a chapter of each fic still in progress, and no ideas/motivation to write.   
  
And there is another obstacle. My husband comes home from Iraq in less that 48 hours, so my mind is a little preoccupied with that.   
  
So here is the solution: I am not going to update for the remainder of July, and possibly into August, if need be. I think that if I don't think about forcing myself to write, then something will come to me. I do promise you this, I WILL finish each of the four stories I still have open. _The Lessons in Life_ is the last of the three part series, _Five Degrees of Love_ is going to be either one or two stories, most likely two. _The Heirs_ will be a one fic story, along _The Calm_.   
  
To keep you all interested, here are a few hints of things to come in the next chapters:   
  
_The Lessons in Life_: As Trevor's relationship with Anne Marie blossoms, Reagan devotes herself more and more to Brent. Look for a pregnancy announcement, three new engagements, a kidnapping, and some suspicious behavior from an American Seeker, all before Valentine's Day..   
  
_Five Degrees of Love_: After meeting someone he wasn't expecting at Jenny's house, Harry learns who Jenny's father is, Jenny learns about her father's fate, and about how Harry knows him. After many tears, some dramatic outbursts, and some lingering thoughts about a comment Ron made on the train home, everyone returns to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.   
  
_The Heirs_: Anna and the other heirs move to Harry's, and prepare for an eventful, and uncertain new school year. The war is growing, Anna's uncertainty in her own abilites, as well as the power she and the other heirs are supposed to conjure sends shockwaves through their three some.   
  
_The Calm_: Olivia Evans needs someone to confide in. Her instincts tell her that a fellow professor may be the key, but she has her doubts about trusting people, especially when they already don't trust her. But after a mysterious attack that hits Hogwarts close to home, she might need to just come clean.   
  
So stay tuned, keep in touch. If you all go and join the Yahoo Group I created ) you will have the most up to date information, as well as each chapter a day before the public sites do. Also there are random notes, timelines, pics and polls on there to keep you occupied.   
  
So thats all from me, see you in a couple weeks! Thank you all for being patient and understanding!   
  
Love, Erica Evans


	10. Chapter Nine: A Gift From the Heart

**  
  
Chapter Nine: A Gift From the Heart **   
  
_ Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Harry Potter. (Duh!0   
  
A/N: I'm back. I don't know how long it will be between posts, but hey, at least I got another chapter out!   
  
Here is a quick recap: Reagan left England after finishing her schooling at Hogwarts, and went to Stanford University of Magic, in California, USA. After graduating four years later, she came home to England, and started her job as a Constructor in the Department of Experimental Magic, in the Ministry of Magic. Both her her brothers are married and have children. James is an Auror and Darenn is the Captain on the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team. She meets Brent Johnson, a dashing Seeker from her brother's team, who is American. She also sees Trevor again, after four years with no contact, and he is an Auror also. As her relationship with Brent progresses, she pushes Trevor farther and farther away, sending him mixed signals along the way, till one day she sees him with another witch, a blond Auror named Anne Marie. At present time, it is Christmas, and the first one she has spent with her family in four years.   
  
Enjoy! And review please! It be great to know what people think and that there are still people reading this story after all this time!   
  
_ Reagan smiled as the sunlight beamed down on her, warming her face. She snuggled closer into her pillows, basking in the morning light. She didn't want to move. She couldn't remember the last time she had been this comfortable, this warm, or this content.   
  
"Its Kwiiistmaaas!" a young, but loud voice cried and Reagan jumped. Standing beside her bed was the two year old form of her nephew beaming at her. She smiled and ruffled his dark brown hair.   
  
"Gwampa said to come and get yoo up!" he exclaimed, jumping onto the bed.   
  
"Oh yeah?" she asked, tickling him. He squealed with laughter, kicking his legs, wiggling to get away from her.   
  
"Careful," Erika's voice came from the doorway. Reagan rolled over to see her sister in law standing in her doorway. "He's got a awful kick. And he's fast too, he's got that Seeker gene in him."   
  
Reagan laughed, pulling her comforter and sheets off of her. "Brad, go tell your Grandpa that I'm up."   
  
He nodded and leapt of the bed, brushing past his mum.   
  
"I'm sure Dad would be happy to hear about his natural Quidditch talent," Reagan said, taking her dressing gown off the back of the chair, and following Erika out of the room.   
  
"Well, your father, James and Darenn have him on a broom as often as possible," she replied. "I almost afraid that they're forcing it on him."   
  
"Well Brad has Quidditch in his blood," Reagan said. "From both parents, not just the Potter line. So as long as he enjoys is--"   
  
"Which he does!"   
  
"-- then there is no harm done."   
  
"Trust a Potter to defend Quidditch," Erika teased.   
  
"At least I'm not the only one!" James laughed, coming up behind them.   
  
"Morning James," Reagan said, kissing her brother on the cheek. "Happy Christmas"   
  
"Happy Christmas, Reagan," he replied, grinning at her, and followed them into the living room.   
  
"See, see?!" Brad was asking his grandfather, pointing at Reagan. "I told you she was up!"   
  
"Yes, yes, I'm up," Reagan said, taking a seat on the couch. "Morning Mum, morning, Dad. Happy Christmas."   
  
"Happy Christmas, Reagan," her mother said, kissing her cheek. "Its so wonderful to have you home this year."   
  
"Yes, it is," Darenn said, trying his best to entertain his daughter, Bianca, who was determined to get down from his lap. "I did hear a rumor in the locker rooms that this was not the only place you were invited for Christmas."   
  
"Oh, Darenn, not now," Ginny said, taking her granddaughter from him. Bianca squealed something and made kissy faces at her grandmum, but still tried to get down.   
  
"Is it true, though?" Darenn asked.   
  
"Brent wanted me to spend Christmas with his family," Reagan explained. "But I never gave it a second thought. I wanted to spend the holidays here, and told him so immediately."   
  
"Well its a shame he went home for Christmas," Ginny said. "It would have been nice ot have him for dinner."   
  
"We can have him after the new year," Harry said. "But right now, there are three young children who are anxious to see what Father Christmas has brought them!"   
  
David, Brad and Bianca all threw their hands in the air and cheered.   
  
Reagan laughed at the sight, and helped pass around the presents.   
  
"Do we not go to the Burrow for Christmas anymore?" Reagan asked her mother.   
  
Ginny shook her head and took a sip from her mug of hot cocoa. "Can you imagine? Your grandmum has over thirty great grandchildren. As clever as your grandfather is, I don't think he could magic the Burrow big enough."   
  
Reagan giggled, imagining more turrets and stories built onto the already odd shape of the Burrow. She took a sip from her mug, allowing the steam to warm her face. She glanced out onto the back yard of her childhood home, watching her three young nephews and niece playing in the snow. She marveled at the unquenchable energy they possessed as they had not stopped running, laughing and playing all day.   
  
"Speaking of magic," Reagan said. "Is this snow real?"   
  
"No," her mum laughed. "Bianca wanted snow for Christmas and since mother nature failed to deliver, your father stepped in."   
  
"Its an awfully impressive charm," Reagan said. "I'm sure if we didn't have all those non penetrable and unplottable charms on the house, the our Muggle neighbors would be awfully curious why we were the only house in the neighborhood with two feet of snow in the back yard."   
  
"Which is why its a good thing we have all those charms and wards on the house," Ginny replied, staring into the distance. "But somehow certain determined owl are able to find us."   
  
Reagan turned her head in the direction of her mother's stare and, recognizing Brent's owl, she smiled.   
  
"Hey there," Reagan said to the owl and took the package from it. The owl was not very sociable and took off immediately upon completing its delivery. "I'll have to wait till Vera gets back to send Brent a reply. She's off delivering Brent's gift to him."   
  
"Do you wish you could be with him this Christmas?" Ginny asked.   
  
Reagan sighed. "Yes, I do. I wish he would have decided to stay in England for the holidays. He knew how important it was to me to spend this Christmas with my family. But we'll have other holidays to spend together."   
  
"I'm sure you will," her mum replied. "I'll leave you to open your gift, then." Ginny kissed her daughter's head as she passed and left Reagan alone on the porch.   
  
_ Dear Reagan, the card began,   
  
Happy Christmas! I hope Monagan reaches you in time, as he sometimes slacks on the job. I wish we could have spent this Christmas together, but I understand and respect that you wanted to spend it with your family. Maybe next year, right?   
  
I also hope that you enjoy your gift that is enclosed with this card. Let me tell you Reagan Potter, you are a very hard person to get a gift for. What do you get the girl that has everything?   
  
_ Reagan wrinkled her nose. _I don't have everything! _and continued reading.  
  
_ Anyway, I hope you have a good Christmas and a happy new year. I can't wait to see you next year!   
  
Love,  
  
Brent   
  
_ Reagan set her card down and started on the package. Its brown wrapping didn't give it away, so she tore into the paper to reveal a box, neatly wrapped in red paper with a white bow. She tore off the paper, briefly thinking she should not tear into a gift wrapped to neatly, and found yet another box, this one black and velvety.   
  
_Not small enough to be a ring,_ Reagan thought, examining the box. _Too short to be a necklace.   
  
_ "Awe," Reagan said, opening the box and seeing her gift inside. It was a Muggle looking watch with a dark brown wrist band. She lifted it out of its box and smiled. Imbedded in the face was a photo of herself and Brent, the picture taken after his Quidditch victory a few weeks back. She smiled at the familiar photograph, and slipped the watch onto her wrist.   
  
"Reagan, honey," her mum called. "Can you try and catch those three and bring them into wash up for dinner."   
  
Reagan laughed. "How am I supposed to catch them?"   
  
Ginny poked her head out of the house. "Use magic, if you need to. They particularly like _Wingardium Leviosa!_"   
  
Reagan smiled and focused on the three young children throwing snow at each other, who were all now laughing as she levitated them off the ground.   
  
"Good Morning, Taryn," Reagan said walking through the door of the Department for Experimental Magic.   
  
"Good morning, Reagan," Taryn replied, looking up and smiling. "How was your holiday?"   
  
"Nice and relaxing," Reagan replied, waving her wand at her door. It glowed bright yellow for a moment before clicking and opening before her. "Any messages?"   
  
"One," Taryn replied. "From a Lane Cald--"   
  
"I LOVE REAGAN IN THE SPRING TIME! DOO DA WOP DOO DA WOP! I LOVE REAGAN IN THE FALL!" Brent's voice rang out into the near silent office.   
  
Reagan slapped her hand over her wrist in attempts to drown the noise that was coming from her watch.   
  
"What is that noise?" Taryn asked.   
  
"Its my watch," Reagan explained hurrying into her office, ignoring the glances she was receiving from her coworkers who had stuck their head out of their offices to see what the commotion was. "It was my gift from Brent. It sings this horrible song really loudly on every hour."   
  
Taryn giggled as the watch continued, "... I LOVE REAGAN IN THE SUMMER WITH IT SIZZLES..."   
  
"Its kinda amusing," Taryn said.   
  
"Yeah right," Reagan said tapping it with her wand. The watch didn't stop its song. "Till you're sitting at Christmas dinner with your family and at six o'clock it starts screaming this horrible song. My mother was so startled she dropped the platter of turkey. My brothers didn't stop teasing me about it for days. And I can't ever get it to stop."   
  
"I LOVE REAGAN IN THE WINTER WHEN IT DRIZZLES!"   
  
"He has a horrible singing voice," Taryn commented.   
  
Reagan glared at the watch. "I had to wear it today too."   
  
"Did you try a Silencing Charm?" Taryn suggested.   
  
"It was the first one I tried," Reagan replied. "I've tried fifteen different Silencing Charms, with three different levels of silence. Then I made two up, those didn't work."   
  
"I LOVE REAGAN EVERY MOMENT! EVERY MOMENT OF THE YEAR!"   
  
"Did you try smashing it?" Taryn asked.   
  
"I couldn't do that," Reagan replied. "It was a gift from Brent and its a very nice watch."   
  
"I LOVE REAGAN!"   
  
"I just don't like the noise it makes," Reagan sighed, slumping into her chair. "I mean with all the crap I know about magic and charms I can't make it stop."   
  
"Could you ask him to take the charm off?" Taryn asked.   
  
"I was planning on it," Reagan replied. "He's coming home today, and taking me to lunch, so I'll ask him about it then."   
  
"I LOVE REAGAN!"   
  
"And until then?"   
  
"We sit through that horrid song three more times," Reagan replied.   
  
"I'll make sure to put a really powerful Silencing Charm on your office," Taryn said, smiling. "Lane Caldwell left you a message."   
  
Reagan took the message from Taryn and shut her office door, casting a potent Silencing Charm on the interior and she could hear Taryn mutter one on the exterior.   
  
"I LOVE REAGAN ALL THE TIME!"   
  
"Hi honey!" Reagan said, hugging Brent.   
  
"Oh I missed you!" he replied, holding her tight.   
  
"I missed you too," Reagan replied.   
  
"You must be freezing," Brent said, taking her cloak from her. "Come on, I've got us a table over here."   
  
Reagan followed Brent across the restaurant and glanced at the clock on the wall.   
  
_12:56_   
  
"Brent, before I forget," Reagan began, "could you take the charm off my watch?"   
  
He smiled at her. "So you liked it?"   
  
"I love the watch, its just the song... the song is a bit loud."   
  
"I thought it was great," Brent said. "He did an awesome job."   
  
"Can you take the charm off it?" Reagan asked again. "Its going to start singing in a few minutes, and its really loud."   
  
"Good," Brent said. "Let it be loud! I want the whole world to know that I love you! I want to sing it from the rooftops and--"   
  
"And thats wonderful, sweetie, but it is rather disrupting," Reagan pleaded. "Please, can you at least make is quieter?"   
  
"I can't," Brent replied. "I didn't charm it."   
  
"Then who did?"   
  
"A Professor Landon June," Brent said. "He was the only one I could find that could perform such a complicated spell."   
  
"But I need to not sing every hour," Reagan said. "Its really loud and very un professional and--"   
  
"I LOVE REAGAN IN THE SPRINGTIME!"   
  
Trevor whipped his head around at the sound of someone screaming an incredible loud, and incredible annoying sound on the other side of the restaurant.   
  
"I LOVE REAGAN IN THE FALL!"   
  
He chucked to himself at the sight of Reagan sinking into her chair, her head in her hands, and Brent beaming his bright smile, laughing as his voice screeched out across the restaurant.   
  
_Lucky you,_ Trevor thought as he paid for his order. He left the restaurant as the song was trying very unsuccessfully to hit a high note and the manager was rushing over to their table.   
  
He pulled his cloak tighter around him, hurrying through the early January wind back to the Ministry. He had already used up most of his lunch hour running to get lunch for Anne Marie and himself, and he was anxious to get back to her.   
  
Truth was, Trevor didn't know what to think about Anne Marie. He liked her enough. She was smart, and funny, and a very good Auror. He definitely enjoyed her company, and she made him smile.   
  
"But she's definitely not Reagan," Trevor muttered to himself, as he Apparated into the Ministry Atrium. _But maybe thats not a bad thing,_ he thought as he got on the lift, taking it down to his floor. _I mean, at least Anne Marie seems interested in me.   
  
_ "Hey," Anne Marie said as Trevor came into her view. He smiled at her, and kissed her cheek.   
  
"Here is lunch," he said. "Sorry it took me so long, but the line was horrible, and I really don't have anytime to eat with you." Trevor glanced at his watch. "I've got meetings the rest of the day, and I've got to run. Are we still on for tonight?"   
  
Anne Marie smiled. "Definitely." She winked at him and he ducked into his office, grabbed his bag, and left the Auror offices.   
  
As Trevor stepped onto the Administrative floor, he knew something was wrong. People were hurrying about in a frenzy that Trevor had never seen before. Everyone looked frightened and afraid and it made Trevor sick to his stomach. He had been waiting for something to go wrong, it had been to peaceful in their world for too long.   
  
"Lieutenant!" James called and hurried over to Trevor.   
  
"What is going on?" he asked.   
  
"Dunno yet," James replied. "I just came in and Dad said something about needing an emergency meeting with his advisors."   
  
"Well, I was here for a meeting anyway," Trevor replied. "I wish I knew what was going on."   
  
"Yeah, no kidding," James agreed. "It was something big. He wants all Aurors on call, I was just about to come down to the department to get you. You'll need to put your Aurors on call."   
  
"Lieutenants," Harry called out, and they turned towards him, snapping to attention.   
  
_How can he handle doing this with his dad? _Trevor wondered, following his superior into his office. He took his seat amongst the other six advisors, looking around to see who had not arrived yet.   
  
"McGuyerson isn't here yet," James whispered, sitting down next to Trevor. Trevor glanced at McGuyerson's usual spot, wondering where the old man was. McGuyerson was the Magical Abilities advisor for Captain Potter and was a normally punctual wizard.   
  
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice," Harry said, and the quiet chatter stopped instantly. "Minister Weasley will be with us momentarily, she was just informed of this meeting and is on her way from lunch. McGuyerson will not be joining us this afternoon, and he is partly the reasoning for this meeting. His replacement is on her way, she did not know she was going to be here either, so forgive her tardiness."   
  
Trevor rolled his eyes, knowing exactly who McGuyerson's replacement was going to be.   
  
"She will be briefed privately before she enters, so we'll begin without her." Harry paused as Minster Weasley came in, and every one stood up till she sat down.   
  
"Thank you," Hermione said, taking her seat. "Please continue, Captain."   
  
"Thank you, Minister," Harry said and continued with his brief. "This afternoon at quarter till one, there was a security breach in the Department of Experimental Magic."   
  
_ Oh Merlin thats Reagan's department.   
  
_ "Level of incident was Alpha."   
  
_ Alpha, that means there were casualties.   
  
_ "There was one casualty, one kidnapping, and no other injuries. All other employees were at lunch at the time. We are not sure that they were looking for, but our new Magical Advisor will be here shortly, I'm sure she can inform us what was under Construction."   
  
"The casualty, sir?" another advisor asked.   
  
"McGuyerson did not make it," Harry replied. "He was found dead by an MLES agent who was first on the scene. The missing is Department Intern Taryn Pagg."   
  
Harry turned and looked towards the door. Moments later, the door opened and Reagan was ushered inside by Harry's secretary. She glanced at her father and he nodded at her, indicating which seat was hers. She rubbed her wrist, and shook her head and took McGuyerson's empty seat. Trevor and James were the only others in the room who knew that Harry had just asked Reagan if she was wearing her watch, and then told her where to sit, all telepathically.   
  
"This is our new advisor, Constructor Reagan Potter," Harry said, introducing his daughter to the other advisors, and she muttered a hello, putting on a brave, professional and emotionless face that was a characteristic she inherited from her father.   
  
"Miss Potter, can you think of anything that would have been of interest that was currently under Construction?" Hermione asked.   
  
_ This must be really weird for their entire family, they have to be so professional,_ Trevor thought.   
  
"There were so many things of more value that were not touched," Reagan replied. "However the only thing that was taken were the files for a new anti-theft ward, Taryn and I had been working on."   
  
"Anti-theft ward?" one advisor asked. "Don't we already have one?"   
  
"Its over thirty years old," Reagan replied. "And it doesn't hurt to have more than one."   
  
"So were the final plans taken?" Hermione asked.   
  
Reagan shook her head. "Just the early stages of it. They took the first draft of it, and that was seven drafts ago. Taryn and I finalized the ward before the holidays, and were set to do a final patent at the end of the week."   
  
"Does anyone else know this information?" Harry asked.   
  
"Just Taryn and myself," Reagan replied.   
  
The meeting went on and Trevor only half paid attention. He couldn't help but glance at Reagan occasionally, and he was amazed at how cool, calm and collected she looked. _Part of the false front the Potters are famous for,_ Trevor thought, looking back at her father. But he still couldn't help wondering what she was really thinking. She had to be upset, she had to be worried, and she had to be even the tiniest bit scared.   
  
"We will meet back here tomorrow morning at 0700," Harry said, concluding the meeting. "We have our work cut out for us. If Lieutenants Potter and Daniels would kindly stay behind, I will see the rest of you tomorrow morning."   
  
Everyone stood as Minister Weasley left, discreetly squeezing Reagan's hand as she passed, and one by one the other advisors followed the minister out the door.   
  
"Reagan, I know you must be shaken up," Harry said. "But this is not your fault."   
  
"Dad, if I was there, she wouldn't have been taken," Reagan protested. "If I hadn't insisted on leaving early for lunch then I could have stopped who ever, and they wouldn't have the plans to the ward." She angrily wiped away her tears that were now starting to overflow and run down her cheek.   
  
_ I knew it was just an act.   
  
_ "Reagan, you don't know that," James said, putting his arm around his sister. Trevor didn't move, he didn't exactly know what his place was here.   
  
"Reagan, where are the final plans for this new ward?" Harry asked.   
  
"At my house," Reagan replied.   
  
"Did Taryn know that?" her father asked.   
  
"No," Reagan sniffled. "She thought they were at the office. I always brought them with me, and I like all the other confidential things under Construction, the final files were charmed to return to a home base in the even of a security breach."   
  
"So the files are safe at your house?" Harry repeated and she nodded. "Lets arrange for them to be moved to my house, my safe is stronger than yours, I'm sure. Also, I'd like for you to stay somewhere other than your house for a while." Harry looked at Trevor.   
  
_ I'm dating Anne Marie, _Trevor thought._ I don't think my girlfriend would like it if Reagan just stayed the night at my house for a while. As much as I'd like to help, this is one time I can't.   
  
_ "Brent is back, so I can stay with him," Reagan replied, not looking at Trevor. Inside, Trevor was jumping with relief but he was still a little disappointed. He didn't think that that oaf of a Quidditch player could properly protect Reagan if need be. But then again, Reagan might not need someone protecting her.   
  
"I'll have Uncle Ron put some more wards up around your house," Harry said, pausing as he thought about that he was going to say next. "And around Brent's, if thats where you choose to stay."   
  
"We have room at our place too, Reagan," James offered. "So you more than welcome to stay with us too."   
  
"Thanks but I'll be fine at Brent's," Reagan replied. "Now, Dad, are we done? Because I'd like to get back to my department and salvage what I can before those MLES destroy it even more. When I left the were just stuffing papers into boxes, and if they continue in that fashion, we'll never get it organized."   
  
"Yes, you can go," Harry replied. She kissed his cheek and quickly left the room.   
  
"Permissions to speak freely," James said immediately.   
  
"Yes, of course," Harry replied.   
  
"I don't like the idea of her staying at Brent's," James stated.   
  
"Neither do I," Harry replied. "I don't think its safe and I don't like Brent."   
  
"I'll add some wards at Brent's as well," James offered. "I doubt she'll budge about staying at Brent''s though."   
  
"I doubt it too. Are there any Aurors who you trust completely who would have the capability to stealthily watch her?" Harry asked, looking at James. James glanced at Trevor, but Trevor didn't meet his gaze.   
  
"None that don't already have too much to do," James replied. "Besides, we can't exactly have her followed. She's an adult, and she's more than capable of handling herself."   
  
"I know," Harry said, pulling his glasses off and wiping his sleeve across his brow. "But its Reagan, and I can't just sit by and let something happen to her."   
  
"With all due respect, sir," Trevor spoke up. "I think Reagan is fully capable of handling this herself. She is a fully trained and fully capable witch. And I think she's expecting you to find some way of protecting her, and honestly I think it would upset her more."   
  
"It would make her feel like we're still treating her like a teenager," James added.   
  
"Yeah, she hates that," Harry agreed. "And I do trust her, I just..."   
  
"I hate to say it too, but you can't always be there to protect her," James said. "The best we can do is add some more wards and tell her to be careful."   
  
Harry sighed, knowing he had to let her grow up sometime.   
  
_ A/N: Just another friendly reminder to ask you to please leave a review. Thanks for sticking with me! EE   
  
_


	11. Chapter Ten: Three Weddings and a Funera...

  
  
** Chapter Ten: Three Weddings and A Funeral  
  
**--------------------  
  
_ Disclaimer: I only own what you don't recognize, everything else is JK Rowling.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the long delay... writing brick wall and all... enjoy!!  
  
_  
  
---------------  
  
"That was a very nice service," Ginny commented to her daughter as they walked along side each other. Reagan dabbed at her eyes and glanced at her mum.  
  
"I guess," she replied.  
  
"Are you on your way home now?" Ginny asked.  
  
Reagan shrugged. "Brent was talking about grabbing something to eat. But since I'm already here...." Reagan's voice trailed off and looked towards the other end of the cemetery.  
  
"You should take Brent around," Ginny said. "There might be some things here that you might want to share with him."  
  
Reagan nodded and managed a weak smile. She gave her mother a quick hug and stopped to wait for Brent.  
  
"Ready to go?" he asked, taking her hand.  
  
"Not just yet," Reagan said. "I want to show you some things."  
  
"In a cemetery?" he asked, looking around. "There's just dead people here."  
  
"And some of those dead people were people I knew," Reagan replied.  
  
"All right, all right," Brent said, giving in to his girlfriend's warning tone. "Lead the way."  
  
Reagan lead him towards the other end of the cemetery, where the Potter and Weasley family plots were. She pointed out both her grandparents, her Uncle Fred, Aunt Emma and her cousin Kate. As they made their way towards the Malfoy plot, Reagan looked up realizing that Brent had stopped walking.  
  
"Whats wrong?" she asked him softly. Brent nodded towards something behind her. She turned and saw Trevor and Cal standing in front of Josie's grave and Reagan swallowed. She hadn't been in the same room with Trevor since the meeting announcing Taryn's kidnapping and McGuyerson's murder. She really wanted to show Brent Josie's grave, but didn't want an scene between Brent and Trevor.  
  
"Lets just wait till they're done," Reagan replied.  
  
"Why is he here?" Brent asked and from his tone Reagan knew he wasn't talking about Cal.  
  
"We were all friends with Josie at school," Reagan explained quietly. "I'm sure they came to pay their respects."  
  
Trevor and Cal soon began to back away from the headstone and passed Reagan and Brent on their way back to the Apparation points. Trevor didn't glance at her, but Cal gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her arm as he passed.  
  
"Is this her?" Brent asked.  
  
"Well, this is her headstone," Reagan replied.  
  
"Josian Avonioa Malfoy," Brent read. "2004 to 2019, daughter, sister and friend. That seems very accurate."  
  
"Its cold and unloving," Reagan replied, and wiped her eyes. "Her family didn't love her and they didn't know her."  
  
"I'm sure you're just exaggerating a bit," Brent said. "I mean, what family doesn't love their daughter?"  
  
"The Malfoys," Reagan replied.  
  
"Are you still crying?" Brent asked.  
  
Reagan turned her head to look at him, her face wet from tears, but she was no longer actually crying.  
  
"I'm better."  
  
"Good," he replied, breathing a sigh of relief. "I hate it when you cry. I never know what to do."  
  
"I don't cry that often," Reagan said and they began to walk back towards the other side of the cemetery.  
  
"You have the past couple days," Brent replied.  
  
"Well, my boss was murdered, and a good friend of mine was abducted," Reagan said in her defense. "Its been a traumatic week."  
  
"Well, at least its over," he said, taking her arm and steering her towards the Apparation points. "Where do you want to eat?"  
  
Reagan sighed. At the moment, food was the last thing from her mind.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
_ "Gudirsium Infensus!"  
  
_ A light blue haze appeared around the room, staying strong and vibrant for a few moments before turning green and fading.  
  
_ "Gudirsium Infenses!"  
  
_ The blue light appeared again, blazed for a brief moment, then disappeared.  
  
_"GURDIRIUM INFENSUS!!" _Reagan roared, tracing a circle in the air, pulling her wand tip across the invisible circle up and to the right. The light blue mist like magic returned to the air around her, hung for a few moments before fading into a deep green and disappearing.  
  
"Oh come on!!!" she yelled, throwing her arms up in defeat. She glared at her empty office, too angry to give in to the tears threatening to spill over.  
  
"You know, screaming that spell won't make it work," Cal said from the doorway.  
  
"Well, I can't make it work when I'm not yelling it," Reagan replied.  
  
"Is this the ward you were working on?" Cal asked.  
  
Reagan nodded. "This is as far as we got. Dad wants this to be a working ward as soon as possible.  
  
"What about your Uncle Ron?" Cal asked. "He's a Charm Master, doesn't he know about this stuff?"  
  
"No," Reagan sighed. "Charm Masters only master certain charms, they are just really strong with a small range of charms. And they can slightly modify some charms. They can't completely create new ones, which, unfortunately, is what we have done here." Reagan turned and pulled a thick file from her desk, slipping it open and staring at it. "I just don't get it. All I get is a blue mist before it disappears. Seven months and I still can't crack it. I just feel like I'm missing something."  
  
"What wand movement are you using?"  
  
"A Saturn formation," Reagan replied. "A circle with a diagonal line through it."  
  
"Those are typical of wards. Used mostly for protection spells. To reverse it, the wand movement is the opposite. A line moving down across from the right to the left, then a circle."  
  
Reagan goggled at him and Cal couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"I'm a curse breaker, Reagan. I know about these things."  
  
"I keep forgetting," Reagan replied. "Maybe you can help me figure out why its not working properly."  
  
Cal shrugged. "I can't make them. I only understand enough to break them. Sa is a powerful thing."  
  
"Wait, what did you say?"  
  
"That I can only break them?"  
  
"No the other part," Reagan said, jumping up and grabbing an enormous book from the shelf.  
  
"About Sa?" Cal asked as Reagan open the heavy text and flipped through the pages. "Its the Egyptian hieroglyphic for protect. Its incredibly powerful--"  
  
"--When used as a suffix," Reagan finished for him. She scribbled something in the file, scanning the book before taking the book and the file and tearing our of her office, yelling "Thanks Cal!" as she left.  
  
"You welcome," he replied to her retreating frame.  
  
Reagan ran through the halls, repeating the incantation to herself over and over. She jumped off the lift as the lift door opened and knocked over a few wizards on her way to her father's office.  
  
"Is he free?" Reagan asked his secretary, hurrying to the desk.  
  
"Yes, Advisor Potter, go right in," the secretary replied.  
  
Reagan smiled at the witch thanking her, and hurried into her father's office.  
  
"Dad, I finished it," Reagan said and he looked up from his desk.  
  
"I don't think I'll ever get used to your elegant entrances," her father replied and leaned back in his chair. "Lets see it then."  
  
_"Gudiriumsa Infensa!"_ Reagan cried and the entire room turned instantly blue. The magic shone bright for a few moments before fading into a deep indigo before dissolving in the air.  
  
"Impressive," Harry said, nodding his satisfaction. "I take it that its complete?"  
  
Reagan nodded. "You could hire the best curse breaker in the world to test it, but it won't falter."  
  
"So after seven months of working it takes you two weeks to crack the final incantation," Harry commented, smiling at his daughter.  
  
"Yeah, well, Taryn's kidnapping was a bit of incentive to finish it," Reagan paused and looked around his office. "How is that going, by the way?"  
  
"Slow and painful," he replied. "No one saw anyone enter, and no one saw anyone leave with Taryn."  
  
Reagan nodded. He hadn't given her much information, but there really wasn't much to give.  
  
"You'll know more when we do," he said. "I promise."  
  
"I know," Reagan sighed. "I just feel responsible."  
  
Harry laughed. "I think its the Potter curse; feeling responsible for bad things when they happen, and being humble about good things we are responsible for. Its not your fault, Reagan. You didn't do anything wrong, and you couldn't have done anything if you had been there. They might have kidnapped you or, even worse, you could have been killed. We'll find Taryn, and we'll find who ever is responsible."  
  
"Thanks Dad," she said and smiled at him, grateful for his understanding.  
  
"Are you coming to dinner tonight?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she replied. "And Brent's coming."  
  
Harry nodded but didn't say anything.  
  
"I know your not too fond of him, Dad, but I am," Reagan explained. "But I do appreciate you giving him a try."  
  
"Whatever makes you happy, Reagan," he said. "Now, finish the patent on that charm, and pass it off to Cal for testing. We have another meeting Friday morning, so you have three days to finalize it and present it."  
  
"I guess I'll get back to work then," Reagan replied. "See you tonight, Dad."  
  
-------------------------------  
  
_Dinner went well,_ Reagan thought, looking at her father. He met her gaze and nodded, and then looked at her cousin Caitlin. Reagan rolled her eyes. Caitlin had decided to announce at dinner that she and Nick Finch-Fletchy were engaged and they were going to get married in April.  
  
_It should coincide nicely with my birthday,_ Reagan thought as she took her plate and Brent's plate and followed her father into the kitchen.  
  
"Why is it that you and Caitlin always seem to be in competition with each other?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know," Reagan replied. "But she makes everything between us a competition. It was always grades or friends or who got Prefect, and now its jobs or boyfriends. And now she's engaged before I am and she rubs it in my face thinking that I care. I do, I mean its great and all that they're going to get married, but I really don't care if it was before or after I did."  
  
Harry laughed. "Well, I think that she's always felt she has to compete with you. You two are so close in age, I guess it was just natural."  
  
"But I don't try to compete with her," Reagan said. "Oh well. I doubt that if it hasn't stopped by now, she'll be competing with me till we die."  
  
Harry laughed and took the plates from Reagan, setting them in the sink where they began to wash themselves.  
  
"Reagan?" Brent asked, coming into the kitchen. "Oh, here you are."  
  
"Sorry, I was just bringing the plates into kitchen," Reagan replied. "Whats up?"  
  
"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk?" Brent asked.  
  
"Sure," Reagan replied. "Let me grab my cloak."  
  
Minutes later, she was walking along the sidewalk, wondering what possessed him to ask her to go on a walk. She glanced at him, and he was looking around, nervously, and seemed to be fumbling something in his pocket.  
  
"It has been really nice seeing you these past couple weeks, since I got back from America," Brent said.  
  
"Mmm'hmm," Reagan agreed.  
  
"And since I met you last June, I've been much happier and I really enjoy spending time with you."  
  
Brent stopped walking, and bent down on one knee in front of her.  
  
"Brent we're in the middle of the street," Reagan whispered.  
  
"Reagan G. Potter," Brent began, and Reagan wondered briefly if he even knew her middle name. "Will you have the honor of being my wife?"  
  
Part of Reagan's brain was asking what kind of proposal that was, while the other part of her brain was screaming and jumping up and down with excitement.  
  
Brent reached into his pockets and out pulled a small black box.  
  
"I'm not very good at this," he mumbled and thrust the box into her hands. She opened it to reveal a gold band with a very large rock of a diamond set on one side of it.  
  
"Oh, Brent," she whispered and smiled at him. There were so many things racing through her mind, but the one thought that was constant was excitement.  
  
"Will you?" he asked again, his eyes pleading with hers.  
  
She slowly nodded and whispered, "Yes."  
  
He jumped up from his kneeling position and threw his arms around her. Reagan laughed and hugged him back, slipping the ring onto her finger.  
  
-------------------------------  
  


_ They're Engaged!!!!  
  
Reagan Potter, daughter of Harry Potter and niece of Minister Hermione Weasley, set to marry Quidditch star, Seeker for the Chudley Cannons, Brent Johnson!  
  
_

Trevor threw down the Morning Prophet, not bothering to read any more of the story. He rolled his eyes and took another sip of his tea. He glanced at his watch and sighed. _Off to another Advisor meeting._  
  
He gathered his papers, downed the last of his tea, and set off towards Captain Potter's office.  
  
"Lieutenant," James said as Trevor came into the waiting room.  
  
"Lieutenant," Trevor replied in greeting.  
  
"I take it you've heard the news?" James asked.  
  
Trevor tried to look confused. "News?"  
  
"Of my sister's engagement to that dolt of a Seeker," James replied.  
  
"Oh, that," Trevor said. "I remember something about it in the newspaper this morning."  
  
"Something?" James laughed. "It was on the front page!"  
  
Trevor shrugged and looked around the waiting room, noticing that Reagan was not there yet.  
  
"He did it Tuesday night," James said. "I've still got my money on you, though."  
  
"I doubt Reagan I will ever be again," Trevor replied. "Besides, I do have a girlfriend."  
  
"Yeah, Corporal Simms," James nodded. "How is that going?"  
  
Trevor smiled and nodded. "Its going good."  
  
"Well, look who decided to show up for a meeting," James said, and Trevor turned to see Reagan coming into the room. She didn't seem to notice him or her brother, but seemed to be muttering something under her breath.  
  
"Rumor has it she finished that ward," Trevor said.  
  
James nodded. "Yeah, thats what I heard too. We'll wait and see I guess."  
  
Forty minutes, three glasses of water and one perfect demonstration of a new ward later Trevor hurried out of his Advisor meeting, eager to get away from the Potter family. He used to feel conformable around them, and in the back of his head he had always assume he would be married into the family, eventually. That all seemed a long time ago now, and as he stepped onto the lift, he was eager to get on with his life.  
  
"How was the meeting?" Anne Marie asked as he dumped his files onto his desk. He smiled at her and shrugged.  
  
"Same as usual," he replied. She put her arms around him and kissed his cheek. He shifted uncomfortable under her embrace and she laughed. "Don't worry, the Imperturbable Charm is still intact; no one can see or hear anything. Besides, Trev, your blinds are down."  
  
Trevor sighed and she let go of him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Anne Marie, I really am," he stammered, sitting down behind his desk. "The meeting didn't go as well as I'd hoped, and I have a lot to do. I guess I have a lot on my mind."  
  
Anne Marie crossed her arms, strands of blond hair falling out of her bun framing her delicate face. "The meeting? I heard Reagan Potter finished that ward. What else did you want to happen?"  
  
"I'd like to find Taryn Pagg, for one," Trevor replied. "I'd like to find who did this."  
  
"Well, I'm sure who ever did this will come to justice in the end," Anne Marie replied. "But its not your responsibility to set everything right, Trev."  
  
Trevor groaned inwardly when she called him Trev. It wasn't that he didn't like the name, he had just not been called Trev since he was ten.  
  
"I know, I know," he sighed. "I think I might go back to the scene of the abduction, see if I can find anything else."  
  
"Do you need any help?" she asked.  
  
Trevor shook his head. "My nose is better than yours," he replied and she laughed, agreeing with him. She knew about his animagus ability, she was one also and in his Animagent unit. But her animagus form was a sleek white cat, and his was a deep brown dog.  
  
"You have me there," she said and kissed his briefly. "Are you planning on working through lunch again?"  
  
"Why? What did you have in mind?"  
  
"Anything," she replied. "We could go to that place where you always bring those sandwiches from."  
  
Trevor nodded. "I'll call and make reservations. Besides, we'll be hungry after the Animagent meeting in an hour."  
  
"Probably," Anne Marie said. "If she gives us any more books to read I'll scream."  
  
Trevor laughed, knowing exactly who she was referring to. "But she knows what she's talking about."  
  
"Then I suppose we are grateful to have her," Anne Marie replied. "See you later, _Lieutenant._"  
  
Trevor smiled and turned back to his paper work, knowing he wouldn't be able to get much work done feeling as restless as he did.  
  
-------------------------------------  
  
Later that night, Trevor still felt restless. He couldn't concentrate on his reports or his research, and his magic was unfocused, which was a first for him. He threw down the parchment in frustration, knocking over the bottle of ink.  
  
He swore in a way that would make even Reagan roll her eyes and scold him. He waved his wand to clean away the mess of ink and ended up cleaning the entire room. Glaring at the spotless study, he got up and went into his kitchen. He found what he was looking for in the back of a cabinet and pulled the mostly full bottle of Firewhisky out, setting it on the counter.  
  
This was another thing that didn't happen to Trevor; he rarely had an urge to drink. He could handle his alcohol better than most, and only James was able to out drink him. Trevor chuckled as he pored the maple colored alcohol into a glass. Darenn was another story, he was gone after three drinks and always ended up sleeping on Trevor's couch when he'd drink. Avery didn't like it, and said that as long as he was safe on Trevor's couch, she didn't want to know anything else.  
  
Trevor's muscles unclenched a bit as the fiery whisky ran down his throat.  
  
Darenn and Avery, now they were quite a pair. Avery was the one in charge, without a doubt, but she was supportive, loving and strong in a way Trevor had never thought possible. No matter what stupid thing Darenn did, she's always be there to welcome him home.  
  
James and Erika were another story. Trevor had never seen a husband so attentive to his wife and so involved with his son. James did his fare share of sleeping on Trevor's couch, or in the second bedroom when the couch was occupied by the younger Potter brother, but Erika never said a word.  
  
"Thats what I want," Trevor mumbled to himself, poring another glass. "Someone to stand by me... a marriage... a family... thats what I've been waiting for...."  
  
Crossing the room to the fireplace, he threw a pinch of floo powder into the flames and yelled, "AM Simms!"  
  
Anne Marie's sleepy face came into view, green and framed by flames, and smiled at him.  
  
"What's up?" she asked. "Is everything all right? Its really late, Trev."  
  
"I know," he replied. "I'm sorry, but can I come over?"  
  
"I guess so," she said. "You mean, like right now?"  
  
"Well, as soon as you get your head out of the fire," he replied.  
  
"Okay then," she said and her head disappeared from view. The fiery green flames went out and he threw another pinch of floo powder.  
  
"AM Simms!" he cried and stepped into the fire, spinning and twisting till he recognized her familiar grate and stepped out.  
  
"Trevor, why did you use the Floo?" Anne Marie asked, eyeing him. He Shrugged.  
  
"I didn't think I should Apparate," he replied. "I haven't been feeling well."  
  
"You felt well enough to drink," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What up?"  
  
"I was thinking about stuff," Trevor said, sitting down on her couch. "And I wanted to get your opinion on something."  
  
"Okay," she replied and sat down, pulling her hair back onto her head and securing it with her wand. "About what?"  
  
"About us."  
  
"That doesn't sound good," she replied.  
  
"No, no its actually good," he said quickly and shook his head. "I think we should get married."  
  
"You... you what?" she stammered.  
  
"I think that we should get married," he repeated. "I mean, I really like you, you are great. You're smart and funny and I really enjoy being around you." A voice in Trevor's head was telling him that he had just given the lamest proposal ever, but he didn't care. "I care about you, Anne Marie, and I want you to be happy. I want to make you happy."  
  
A smile crept onto Anne Marie's face and she swallowed the lump of tears that had formed in her throat.  
  
"I care about you too," she whispered.  
  
"Then will you do it?" he asked. "Will you marry me?"  
  
Anne Marie laughed and nodded. Trevor pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her, soothing her hair as she cried happy tears onto the from of this uniform.  
  
He smiled to himself, picturing the headline of tomorrow's Prophet: _ They're Engaged!! Britain's most eligible bachelor nabbed by fellow Auror!_  
  
And for once he didn't care about Reagan's reaction.  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
_ A/N: Whoa. That was a lot. Thank you all for reading thus far and for sticking with me. I really appreciate your positive feedback and reviews so please keep them coming!! _  
  



	12. Chapter Eleven: Mistakes and Opportuniti...

** Chapter Eleven: Mistakes and Opportunities **

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. 

Brent sat at the bar, silently flipping through the Daily Prophet. He wasn't able to completely focus on the articles though, his mind was racing with the prospect of his girlfriend meeting him mother. It was going to be perfect. Reagan ws going to come home with him for Christmas, his mom and dad were going to be there, and his younger sister was coming home from Aureus Arbor, the school of magic she attended. His mom had agreed with him earlier that morning that having Reagan come home with him to America would be perfect. 

_ "Just make sure she doesn't have any plans of her own," _his mother had warned. 

"Nonsense mother, where else would she want to spend Christmas but with me?" _he had replied._

Now he was anxiously waiting till he saw her later that day to invite her. 

"You really think they're doing something that top secret?" A voice behind Brent pulled him out of his thoughts. 

"Of course, they are," a second voice said. "Its the Department of Experimental Magic. Everything they do is incredibly top secret." 

_ Department of Experimental Magic, _Brent thought. _That's Reagan's department._

"So only the Department officials know what's being worked on?" the first voice asked. 

"Yes," the second one replied. "We just need someone to tell us who works there." 

"But no one would be that stup-" 

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Brent said, swirling around on his bar stool to face the two men behind him. "I'm sorry to have overheard, but were you two discussing the Department of Experimental Magic?" Brent smiled brightly, never missing an opportunity to boast about his girlfriend, even though he still didn't quite understand what it was she did. 

"What if we were?" the fist man asked, a slender pale skinned blond with a pointed nose and an expensive looking robe. 

"Reagan Potter works in that Department, did you know?" Brent continued. 

"Reagan Potter?" the second man asked, also tall but with dark hair and a rather large nose. "You know Reagan Potter?" 

Brent laughed. "She happens to be my girlfriend." 

The blond smiled. "Have a seat, mate." 

Brent, still grinning, nodded and pulled up a third chair to their table. 

"Brent Johnson," he said, shaking each of their hands. 

"Mathias Malfoy," the blond replied. "This is Drayton Flint." 

"Nice to meet you both," Brent replied. 

"So you're dating Potter?" Mathias asked again and Brent nodded. 

"Yes I am. She's the daughter of Harry Potter, you know." 

"Yes we do," Drayton replied. "Everyone knows that." 

"Oh, are you friends of hers?" Brent asked. 

"More like old acquaintances," Mathias replied. "We went to Hogwarts with her." 

"You know it seems like everyone around here went to Hogwarts," Brent said, shaking his head. "Everyone knows everyone." 

"So does Potter have any friends?" Mathias continued. "Anyone she works with?" 

"I'd say so," Brent replied. "She and Taryn Pagg are good work friends. And they spend tons of time together, always working." 

"They work a lot?" Mathias asked. 

"Tons lately," Brent replied, rolling his eyes. "Must be something incredibly important too, because Reagan can never tell me what it is that they do at work. Other that what her job title is." 

"And what's that?" 

"Reagan is a Constructor," Brent replied, beaming, proud that he could remember what Reagan had told him. "She creates and constructs spells and charms. She works specifically with Defense spells. She has a diploma on the wall from Stanford University of Magic in America for it. She's very smart, Reagan is." 

"Indeed," Drayton replied. 

"Now do you go to lunch with her often?" Mathias asked. 

"I take her out when I can, usually two or three times a week. When practice permits it. I play Quidditch, did I tell you? I'm the Seeker for the Chudley Cannons." 

"Well, who would have guessed?" Mathias replied. "Well, good luck this year!" 

"Thanks," Brent replied, standing up. "I hate to be terribly rude, but I must get off to practice. It was wonderful to meet you. Its always wonderful to meet friends of Reagan's." 

"Have a nice afternoon, Mr. Johnson," Mathais replied, shaking his hand again. 

"It was nice to chat with you," Drayton said and shook Brent's hand once again as well. Brent smiled and waved as he got to the door. 

"I stand corrected," Drayton said, turning towards Mathais. "I guess there is someone that dumb." 

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

_ Three Months Later..._

"Three bridesmaids, Mum," Reagan said. "Not eight." 

"What about your cousin Gabrielle?" Ginny asked. 

"Gabby?" Reagan asked. "Uncle Percy's daughter?" 

"She's a intern for the Daily Prophet," Ginny replied. "And her acne has cleared up... for the most part." 

"Mum, I don't know Gabby very well, cousin or not," Reagan replied. "My wedding, my bridesmaids. Lane, Taryn and Caitlin. No one else." 

Ginny sighed. "All right, all right." 

"Thank you," Reagan replied, huffing. 

"But what about-" 

"Muuu-um!" Reagan cried, turning to face her mother. "The answer is no!" 

Ginny smiled. "All right, I'm done for now. I just want this to be perfect for you." 

"And it will be perfect," Reagan replied and the continued walking. _If Taryn is found before the wedding._

"Where are we meeting Brent?" Ginny asked. 

"The Leaky Cauldron," Reagan replied. 

"I'm surprised that he didn't want to come shopping with us," Ginny said. 

"Mum, did Dad want to plan details of your wedding?" 

Ginny laughed. "No, I guess not. Though he was just happy to be getting married at that point, I doubt he thought much about it." 

"Exactly," her daughter replied, laughing. "Men are like that." 

"Indeed they are," Ginny agreed. 

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

Ê "I have a meeting with Captain Potter," Trevor said out loud as he read through his owl. Anne Marie wrinkled her nose. 

"What ever for?" 

Trevor shrugged. "It doesn't say." He stood up and straightened his uniform and sighed. "We'll have to postpone lunch till later, okay?" 

Anne Marie managed a smile, but Trevor could tell she was disappointed. 

He kissed her cheek as he passed by her and left the Auror Department. 

"Ah, Liententant Daniels," the receptionist said, smiling at him. "Captain Potter is waiting for you. Go right in." 

Trevor nodded and stepped into the office, a room he was familiar with and comfortable in. 

"Lieutenant," Harry said and offered him a seat. "Thank you so much for coming on such short notice." 

"Not a problem, sir." 

"Now let me get straight to it," Harry said. "I've had some correspondence over the past few weeks with the American Auror and Defense Agency, the AADA. They are very interested in the Animagent department we have developed over the past few years, and they want someone on hand, experienced and responsible. They need a strong leader with morals, goals and determination to start up their own division of the Animagents. They told me to think off every possible person I know and then pick who I trust the most. Lieutenant, if you are interested, I would like to offer you this position." 

Trevor sat in stunned silence, staring speechless at his superior officer. 

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

"America?" Anne Marie asked. "As in that really big country on the other side of the Atlantic?" 

"Yes, the same one," Trevor replied, having just told his fiancee of the position he had been offered. "It would be a promotion, and an entire department of Aurors under my command." 

"That sounds like a great opportunity," Anne Marie replied. 

"I think so too," Trevor agreed, silently thinking of taking a page out of Reagan's book. Escaping to America sounded like a wonderful idea. 

"When do you leave?" Anne Marie asked. 

"Well, I didn't say yes quite yet," Trevor replied. "I told him I would need some time to consider it. And the best part is I don't see why I can't bring you with me." 

"Me?" Anne Marie squealed. "Wicked!" Laughing she jumped into Trevor's arms. 

"Lets celebrate," he said. "Lets go eat, any where you want." 

"Anywhere?" 

"Absolutely." 

"Can we go the Leaky Cauldron?" Anne Marie asked. "I've been craving their clam chowder." 

Trevor laughed and nodded. "Then the Leaky Cauldron it it." 

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

"Hello beautiful," Brent said and kissed Reagan's cheek. "Mrs. Potter," he nodded, smiling at her. 

"Good evening Brent," Ginny said as he took her cloak. 

"Did you have a nice time?" Brent asked. "How is the shopping coming?" 

"Its coming," Reagan replied, making their way across the crowded room towards their table against the wall. "In fact we might have found-" 

"Well, I say!" Brent cried and clapped a blond haired man on the shoulder. "Look who we've run into, Reagan dear!" 

Reagan recognized the man, though she wasn't so sure why Brent was so excited to see him. 

"Its Mathias, isn't it?" Brent asked a petrified Mathias Malfoy. Mathias nodded and Brent grandly shook his hand. 

"You know Mathias?" Reagan asked. 

"And Mr. Flint here," Brent replied, looking at darker haired man. "Drayton Flint, right?" 

"Nice to see you again, Brent," Drayton said. "Miss Potter, Mrs. Potter." 

"Good evening Drayton," Reagan and her mother both replied. 

"Is everything all right?" Trevor asked. Reagan whipped her head around at the sound of his voice. He was standing on the other side of Mathias and Drayton's table, Anne Marie standing beside him. 

_ I didn't see him come in. _

"Ah Trevor," Ginny replied, grateful for a friendly face. 

"No no problem, Trevor," Brent sneered. "Just catching up with some of Reagan's old friends here." 

"Friends?" Reagan, Ginny and Trevor all asked at once. 

"No offense, gentlemen, but I don't know where he got the impression that we were ever friends," Reagan replied. 

"Well, they told me they knew you from school," Brent replied. "I met them a couple months ago, in this same bar. They were quite eager to hear what you had been up to." 

"They were?" Reagan asked, and Trevor folded his arms. "What exactly did you tell them, Brent?" 

Brent looked from Reagan to Trevor and then back to Mathias and Drayton. "They said they were friends of yours, so it didn't seem any harm in letting them know about your success as a Constructor. They wanted to make sure you had some good friends at work, so I told them that you and Taryn were the best of friends, always working on stuff you couldn't tell me about." 

"YOU WHAT?" Reagan cried, and half the room turned to look at them. "Brent, I can't believe you!" 

"Malfoy and Flint, you're coming with me," Trevor said, casting a spell over both men. Both men's arms went behind their back and a sliver mist of magic circles around their wrists. 

"Come, lets sit down," Ginny said and ushered them to their table. 

"Brent you never tell anyone about what I do," Reagan scolded him. 

"They were friends of yours at school," Brent replied. "They should have the right to know." 

"Brent, I wasn't friends with those boys at school," Reagan said shaking her head. "We hated each other. Our parents hated each other. What you said to them could have lead to the kidnapping of Taryn. I don't understand how you could be so dense sometimes!" She stood up and gathered her shopping bags. "Mum, I'm sorry for not being able to have lunch with you this afternoon. And Brent, I hope you only knew what you've done. I'm going to the Ministry. If Malfoy and Flint had anything to do with the break in at the Ministry, I want to be there when they spill it." 

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

"Nothing," Harry said and Trevor looked up. 

"Nothing, sir?" 

"It seems they were to gather the information needed. Who ever they were working for was smart and cast a very powerful Memory Charm on them both. Destroying their minds will do them no good. And it will leave us with nothing." 

"Which is what we have now!" Trevor exclaimed, standing up. His fists balled up and he held them close to his eyes, clenching his teeth and shutting his eyes. Harry could tell he was trying to gain control of himself after his outburst. 

"Forgive me, sir," Trevor said. "Its been a long day and its not ending with the answers I had hoped for." 

"Same here, Lieutenant," Harry replied. "Go home and have a nice relaxing evening. Take Anne Marie somewhere special." 

Trevor nodded and left the room, quickly taking the lift to the Atrium and Apparating to Anne Marie's front door. He knocked and the hall light flickered as she opened the door. 

"Come in quick," she said, "before it starts to rain." 

He nodded and took off his cloak. She lead him to the living room and he took a seat on the couch. 

Seeing Reagan with Brent and her mum had taken a toll on him. He was perfectly happy living in a ignorant bliss thinking that Brent did not exist, but each time he saw the two of the together it tore his make believe land apart. It was time to do something about it. 

"Anne Marie," he called, sitting up. 

"Yes?" she replied from the kitchen. He followed the sound of her voice, not sure of what he was about to suggest was best at the time. But he also didn't care. 

"Do you have plans tonight?" he asked. 

"Not really," she said. "I was waiting to see what you wanted to do." 

"Lets elope." 

"Wh-what?" she asked, setting the tea pot down. 

"Lets elope," he repeated. "I don't want to wait any longer to get married." 

"Are you serious?" she asked. "Tonight?" 

"Why not?" he shrugged. "We can go to the Ministry and get married. We can be in Fiji by sunset." 

"But you just caught Flint and Malfoy." 

"They didn't know anything," he replied. 

"You really want to do this?" Anne Marie asked and Trevor nodded. 

"Okay, lets go get married!" she replied. 

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

Reagan shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around herself as she walked up the path to her flat. A glance at the sky told her it didn't look good. It was dark, though it was a little past four, and the dark clouds held a definite promise of rain. 

_Figures,_ she thought._ What else could go wrong?_

She waved her wand over her door knob, expecting to hear the familiar click of the magical lock unlocking, but it made no sound. Instead her front door casually swung open. She tightened her grip on her wand and cautiously stepped forward, mentally going over the words for a shield charm, just incase she needed it. 

She stepped around her furniture, noticing nothing had been moved. There didn't seem to be anything out of place, and she relaxed a little. 

"Maybe you just forgot to lock the door this morning," she said out loud. She dropped her wand onto the table, pulled the scarf from around her neck and tossed it on the chair and was about to remove her cloak, but she stopped, hearing a noise from the back of her flat. She carefully stepped towards the sound of the noise, whispering a Silencing charm on her creak wooden floor as she went. 

It was a short distance from her living room to her bedroom door, and she paused for a moment to listen at the door. 

_Springs?_ she thought to herself. _What kind of thief or dark wizard would make the sound of springs?_

She slowly pushed open the door and realized that there was no dark wizard and there was no thief in her bedroom. But there was someone in there. 

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo 

_ A/N: Sorry for the long delay in posting. Life happend, so I donÕt know how frequent updates will be, but stay with me! Review please! EE _


	13. Chapter Twelve: Love and Hope

**Chapter Twelve: Love and Hope** (a.k.a. the chapter we've all been waiting for)

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter._

_A/N: Massive fluff warning. Fluff upon fluff upon fluff ahead. You have been warned._

Trevor looked at the badge in his hand and blinked.

_Trevor Daniels_

_Groom_

"Are you coming?" Anne Marie asked. "I don't think they'll marry us in the Atrium."

Their eyes locked, and he stared at her, searching for something in her eyes, a confirmation or reassurance or something. And he saw it, and he felt it.

Hope. And love. It consumed him. He could feel it radiating around him, coming from deep within him. He could feel it reaching out to him from somewhere, but then he realized it wasn't from Anne Marie.

"You're not coming," she said to him and he shook his head.

"I can't."

"I know," she replied. "I've known all along. And in reality, I've felt the same way. It was just fun, you know, to fantasize about it."

"Anne Marie, I'm sorry," he said.

"Its okay," she replied. "You never wanted to marry me anyway. You want to get married... just not to me."

And then to Trevor's amazement she smiled. "She's lucky you know. Go find her and tell her."

"I don't even know where she is," Trevor whispered, barely aware that he was speaking.

She stepped closer and kissed his cheek. "You'll find her. Just follow your heart. That never fails."

"Thanks," he said. "For not being mad; for being so wonderful for the time we've been together. Without you I wouldn't have realized that... well I would have realized."

"Not a problem," she replied. "Good luck." And she Dispparated, leaving him alone in the Atrium.

"Follow my heart... follow my heart," he repeated to himself. He closed his eyes and sighed. _What am I doing? I just threw away a relationship with a sweet, funny, wonderful woman minutes from the alter for someone who is argumentative and indecisive and..._

"Perfect," Trevor said. "And she makes me laugh like no one else can." He sighed and looked again at the empty atrium. "What am I doing?"

Follow your heart, follow your heart.

"I know where she is," he said to the water fountain of magical brethren. "Wish me luck." And he Dispparated.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON BRENT!"

Brent shrank into the bed even more, pulling the sheet to over his naked body. Images of Brent with another woman, bouncing around on top of him were still fresh in her mind and she was pleased to see fear pass over Brent's face. The other woman looked terrified also, a blond Reagan recognized from seeing her around the Ministry and from Quidditch matches where the groupies would always hover after games.

"You're Reagan Potter," the blond witch said.

"How very observant of you," Reagan replied coldly. "And who, prey tell are you?"

"Someone who could give Brent what he wants," the witch smirked.

"If you were smart, you'd stop talking," Reagan replied, pointing her wand at the witch, a dozen spells flying through her head.

"If you think you can attack an unarmed witch and get away with it, then you're as crazy as Brent said you were."

"Crazy, am I, Brent?" Reagan asked, turning her gaze to her fiancée… her _former_ fiancée.

"I, um," Brent stammered. Out of the corner of her eye, Reagan could see the witch's eyes dart to her wand, lying forgotten on the floor. _She wouldn't be that stupid would she?_ The witch seemed to make up her mind. _She would._ The blond a dive for her wand, but Reagan was quicker.

"_Expelliarmus! Petrificus totalus!"_ Reagan yelled at her, barely lifting her wand. The girl's wand flew from her hand and she went rigid, stiffly falling onto the bed.

"So I ask you again, Brent," Reagan said more calmly. "What is going on?"

"You're home early," he stated, seeming to regain his composure. "What are you doing here?"

"I _live_ here," Reagan replied. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Brent looked at the naked girl on the bed, and then to his wand.

"Don't even think about it," Reagan warned. "Unless you think its worth the risk. I mean, your Quidditch career is already on the line here."

"I doubt this is in the Quidditch books," Brent said. "We're not married yet, therefore its not adultery."

"Oh, I'm sure we could tack on aiding criminals in the abduction of a Ministry official," Reagan replied. "I'm sure there's _something_ in the _Professional Quidditch Player Book of Conduct, Rules and Regulations. _Besides, you don't know what I'm capable of," Reagan said. "I know more curses, jinxes, charms and spells than you could possible imagine."

"And I can have you arrested for threatening me," Brent replied.

Reagan laughed. "Try, I dare you. I'm sure any jury would see it my way,"

Brent moved very quickly, he was a Seeker after all, and made a grab at his wand, but it moved from his reach to hovered beside Reagan's head.

"How did you do that?" he asked. "You didn't even say anything!"

"You really don't know me at all, do you?" Reagan asked, taking his wand from the air.

"Wa-wandless magic?" he stuttered. "How?"

Reagan rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Brent, do you ever pay attention to anything other than yourself? Now where should I send you?" Reagan tapped her fingers on the side of her face.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Contemplating where to send a naked Quidditch star and his naked whore," she replied. "The Ministry? No, there's no one there on the weekend. Diagon Alley? No, don't want to scare the kiddies." And then it occurred to her, the perfect place to send him.

She grinned at him. "You know, I threw away someone wonderful for you."

"Yeah?" he asked. "Who?"

"Trevor Daniels," she replied.

"Trevor Daniels!" he spat. "What could you possibly see in that looser?"

Reagan's eyes narrowed. "Lets see, he's not arrogant, or cocky and he's a much better kisser than you are."

"You've kissed him?" Brent asked. "When?"

"Remember when I said that I knew Trevor?" Reagan asked. "Well, we were pretty close friends at Hogwarts. He was my first kiss. First many things actually."

"Too bad he doesn't love you anymore," Brent smirked as he said exactly what he knew would get to Reagan.

"Yeah, well," Reagan said. "I have you to thank for that don't I? While I was so absorbed with you, I was blind to what I truly wanted. Fact, I'm not even sure that you didn't have some spell over me. Maybe we could add that to your charges."

"And now he won't have you," Brent continued, ignoring her comment. "He's going to marry that blond Auror he's been so cuddly with."

"Oh, so you do pay attention to things other than yourself," Reagan sneered at him. "So tell me Brent, why did you pay so much attention to Trevor's love life?"

"He loves her now, so you'll have to stay with me," he said smirking at her.

"Is that what you thought?" Reagan asked. "That I thought no one else would have me so I would stay with _you_?" Reagan glared hard at him, trying desperately to keep her temper in check. "Let me tell you something, Brent. I wouldn't stay with you, if we were the last two people on this earth. I don't need you to be happy." And with a wave of her hand he and his little blond thing next to him vanished.

Imagining how Darenn would react to a naked Seeker and a naked witch landing in his living room, Reagan smiled and left her bedroom.

She knew Trevor's place was within walking distance, and as she stepped outside, the first rain drops began to fall on her head. There was an immediate down pour and she was instantly soaked. Not bothering to cast a drying charm she set off down the street towards

Trevor's house, not even knowing if he was there. All she knew is that she needed to get to him.

_Oh Merlin._ _Why didn't I see it before?_ Reagan really hoped her father would not be able to know what was going on, as he would come immediately to make sure everything was all right. _How could I have been so stupid? Trevor was there, and I was a complete idiot. He hasn't talked to me and I don't know what I'm going to say_.

"I'm relieved," she said out loud, stopping. She sank onto the near by park bench and cried into her hands. _I'm relieved that he's gone, that Brent screwed up this bad. It was like he had a spell over me, I wouldn't listen to anyone or take anyone's advise. I had to learn it for myself. Brent was no good for me, and Trevor was..._

Reagan sighed. "He was perfect." More tears came over her and she cried silently into her hand. _I wish you were here Josie. You would have told me I was nuts to date Brent. What was I thinking? I hope he doesn't hate me. I wish Trevor was here. He'd make everything better. He'd hold me while I cried, not look at me like I was a leper. Trevor held me when you died. I wish he was here, I wished he still love me..._

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Trevor stepped out in front of his house, not sure of where Reagan would be at this time of the day.

_Probably out making wedding plans with her fiancée,_ he thought bitterly.

He looked up at the sky as the rain began to fall. He wiped the rain out of his face and set off towards Reagan's house, his clothes soaking and sticking to him as he went.

_What am I doing?_ he asked himself as he walked. _She'll never take me back; she's too wrapped up in the Brent Johnson craze to look what is directly in front of her face. What am I saying? Take me back? I never had her in the first place, not officially. And why was that? Because I never asked her. I never asked her to be with me, I always assumed that after... well after everything that we'd been through and everything that happened between us, I just thought that she would feel the same way that I did._

The rain came down harder as he made his way down the road towards Reagan's house. He knew the way so well, his legs knew where to carry him and he was helpless to their demands.

_Follow your heart... follow your heart... I have to know if she loves me, that she if to be with me. I have to know how she feels. And if she doesn't... well, then, I'll go away and I won't bother her. I'll take the offer in America. But I have to know how she feels and if she's happy with Brent, then I'll go to America and move on... like she did._

Trevor stopped suddenly when he saw her. He was still far enough away that she had not noticed him yet. She was sitting silently in the rain, her head in her hands, but Brent was no where to seen. As he silently stepped closer he realized that she was crying.

_What has that bastard done to her that has made her cry?_

He stood watching her, realizing that even with tears running down her face she looked beautiful and perfect. Her dark hair, her deep green eyes, her face, her smile, he loved everything about her, he always had. Over their years at Hogwarts together, his love had grown from a cute puppy love to a deep passionate emotion. While she was in America, he thought that love, the immense and powerful emotions he felt towards her had diminished in her absence, but then he saw her again, all those months ago in the

Ministry and she took his breath away. She was there, in her father's office, and it was like nothing had changed. His stomach had flip flopped, his breath caught in his throat and it had taken him a few seconds to recover from the shock of seeing her in front of him after all those years. He had given her some smart comment, and left the office, only to retreat into the men's loo to get control of himself. His breath had been short, and his heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest. All he wanted to do was grab her and snog her senseless, and he almost had minutes later when he had seen her at the elevator.

And now she was feet away from him, silently weeping, soaking wet and he wanted nothing more than to hold her.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Reagan was vaguely aware of some one standing near her. Assuming it was Brent, or one of her brothers, she didn't look up. She knew it wasn't her father, she could always feel when he was around. She tried to control her breathing, preparing to face who ever it was. She was soaked to the bone, and didn't much care about casting something to dry her off.

"_Warmitus_," the person whispered as he sat down next to her and her heart skipped a beat.

_Trevor!_

She looked up at him, her eyes still filled with tears and he pulled a lock of dark brown hair away from her face and tried to wipe some of the water off her face. He was soaked as well, his dark hair dripping water onto his face, running down his nose and off his chin.

"I wished that you were here," she whispered, bringing her hand up to his face. "Are you really here?" He smiled and nodded.

"Why were you wishing for me?" he asked and glanced around. "Where... where is Brent?"

"Brent is..." Reagan grinned and snickered. "Brent made a huge mistake an underestimated me."

"Ooooh, that is a bad thing to do," Trevor chuckled. "So I guess it doesn't matter what Brent did, what did you do to him?"

"I, uh, sent him and the witch I caught him with to Darenn's... naked."

Trevor couldn't help but laugh. "I bet Brent is pretty sorry right about now."

"Doesn't really matter," Reagan shrugged, looking up at him, the wonder in her eyes burning into his. "Where is Anne Marie?"

Trevor didn't break eye contact with her, and continued to stare at her, and her heart swelled with something she hadn't felt from him in a long time.

Love. And hope.

"Anne Marie is... you know I don't know where she is," he replied. "We were at the Ministry, and then she told me to follow my heart and then she left."

"To follow your heart?" Reagan asked.

"And it led me here."

"Trevor"

"Reagan let me say this before I loose my chance or my nerve," Trevor said, cutting her off. "I don't that that Gryffindor bravery like you do, I was a Slytherin, remember? We're not known for bravery or courage, and I was actually planning on weaseling my way to you so I could tell you this. I don't know what happened between you and Brent or what is going to happen, and I don't know how you feel about me anymore. But I know how I feel. And I thought I felt that towards Anne Marie. But today at the Ministry, we were on our way to get married, and I stopped because... because I realized that every time I looked at her, I hoped she was you. Every time Anne Marie smiled at me, I wanted to see you smile. Every time she laughed I wanted to hear your laugh. I wanted it to be you I was going to elope with. I love you Reagan. I don't know if you knew, but I thought you did, but in case you didn't then I'll tell you again. I love you. I can't explain it, I can't figure out how I can love you for so long, through everything you've put me through and through everything that has happened. But I can't get over you. I tried. I tried dating other people, I tried, I really did try to get you out of my head. But it's impossible. I feel too strongly about you to let you go while there is still a change. But if you tell me to stop, that there is no way possible that we can be together, then I'll stop. I'll go away and leave you alone and let you live your life. All I want if for you to be happy. And if that's not with me, then I can live with that, and I won't get in the way again. And if it is with me, then... well then please let me know because its agony being without you, but its even worse not knowing how you feel."

Reagan stared at him, tears flowing freely down her face again, but she couldn't feel happier.

"Oh, no, I've made you cry again," Trevor said.

"You still love me?" Reagan asked.

"Are you kidding me?" he laughed. "Of course I still love you. I can't help it."

"You never actually said it," Reagan replied. "But I always knew. I always knew you were the one for me. And everyone tried to tell me, and I refused to listen. Everyone else knew except me!" She laughed wiping the tears and water out of her eyes. "And I never told you either."

"Told me what?"

"That I love you too," Reagan replied. "And I always have. You've always been the one to make everything better, and you can comfort me in a way that no one else can. You are the first person I think of going to when something is wrong, and you were the first person I thought of after I banished Brent to Darenn's was you. I always thought of you. I couldn't get you out of my head either. Even when I was in America, every owl I would see I'd hope it was yours, and then I saw you last summer at the Ministry and everything came flooding back but I was so blinded by Brent and stupid smile and your smile is so much nicer and then you won that award and he was so upset about it and I wanted to laugh. And then when I realized what a slime ball Brent was, all I wanted to do was find you and have you hold me and make everything better and I am so, so... so happy to know that you still love me and want to be with me after everything I've done to you over the years and look at me I'm all wet and rambling like an idiot!" Reagan was still sobbing, but her tears were mixed with laughter. Trevor laughed with her and put his arms around her, pulling her to him.

"You can stop crying," Trevor said into her hair.

"I know," Reagan replied, sniffling. "But I can't make it stop." She laughed at herself and buried her head in his chest.

"Yes, you can," Trevor laughed, and pulled her chin up to him with her hand. He slowly lowered his head and her eyes darted from his eyes to his lips. Looking back up at him, her lips curled into a smile.

"Trevor?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"Do you know how wonderful it is to hear you say that?" he asked, wiping more water off her face and she grinned. "Reagan?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you too."

"Hmmm, it is nice to hear that," she replied. "You know how you said you were at the Ministry?"

"Yeah."

"Were you going to get married?"

"Yeah, I was," he replied.

"Oh... well I was thinking, I mean, since we love each other an all..."

"Will you marry me, Reagan?" he asked and her face lit up.

"Yes, of course," she replied and started crying again. She didn't want to wait to kiss him any longer. She threw her arms around him and pulled him to her, their lips meeting for the first time in five years. And as their tongues met in rapid succession, she never wanted the moment to end. Kissing Trevor was nothing like kissing Brent and nothing like she remembered or could have even imagined. It was absolute happiness. She could feel his love, how much he cared for her, and how happy he was, and he kissed her more passionately than she had ever been kissed before.

"Are we really going to get married?" she asked, breathless as she pulled away from him. She didn't particularly want the kiss to end, but she had to know.

"If you want to," he replied and reached his hand into his pocket. "In fact, I grabbed this, you know, just in case." He pulled a black satin box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal a three stone ring, one diamond surrounded by two sapphires, all set on a white gold band.

"Is this the same as..." Reagan began but stopped, partly afraid to ask the question.

"No, not at all," Trevor laughed. "This is a ring I bought _for you_ towards the end of your seventh year. It was meant then to be an engagement ring, but I never got up the courage to ask you, and well, then you went to America and I thought that I had lost my chance."

"It's beautiful," Reagan whispered as he slipped it onto her finger.

"Just like you," he replied, kissing her.

"Yeah, right," Reagan replied, laughing. "Trevor, I'm soaking wet, and I've been crying. I can't imagine how attractive I could possibly look."

"I think you are beautiful no matter what," Trevor said, kissing her forehead. "No matter what." His kissed then moved down her neck and back to her mouth and they lost themselves in each other and time seemed to stop. Neither of them knew how much time had gone by, but some time later, a deep voice cleared his throat near them and they jumped, breaking apart their snog session.

"Didn't your mother tell you not to stay out in the rain?" Harry asked, grinning at his daughter and Trevor.

"Dad!" Reagan exclaimed, wiping water out of her face and blushing. "How long have you been here?"

Harry chuckled. "Long enough."

Trevor laughed. He should have known that Reagan's father would turn up sooner or later.

"I been in the weirdest mood today," Harry continued. "For the most of it the day, it was a norm mood, but then I felt very happy. I then got a Floo from Darenn and was curious how I could feel so happy when the star Seeker of my favorite Quidditch team was now a bench player, and then it occurred to me that maybe it was your feelings I was feeding off and I found you here." Harry paused, ginning at the two of them. "I must say, it is about time. And you two are soaked to the bone. Lets get you out of the rain, and I think a nice Drying Charm would do nicely, because if I don't say it, Ginny will have my hide."

Trevor quickly cast a drying charm on each of them, and Reagan conjured an umbrella, content as her hair and clothing were no longer sticking to her. She sighed contently as Trevor put her arms around her and she smiled at her dad.

_You were right,_ she thought as she returned her smile.

_Then let it be a lesson to you and all the Weasley and Potter women,_ Harry returned in thought. _I am always right and the world would be a better place if everyone listened to me in the first place._

Reagan laughed out loud at this, and Trevor looked between father and daughter, realizing a silent conversation had been going on, most likely about him, but from the looks on their faces he didn't mind.

"I hope you'll stay out of the rain this time," Harry said. "There is a dinner at the Burrow tonight, a rather large one in fact. Consider this as your official invitation."

Reagan nodded and leaned into Trevor more.

"And please mention to your mum that I told you to stay dry and warm," Harry said.

"I'll make sure she knows how nice of a job you've done, Dad," Reagan replied. With a soft _pop! _Harry was gone and Trevor and Reagan were alone in the street again.

"So dinner?" Trevor asked and Reagan nodded. He was gazing at her, the same content smile on his face that was on hers, and she could feel her knees begin to go weak under his gaze.

"When should we get married?" she asked, still feeling a tingle go up her spine at the thought of marrying Trevor.

"When ever you want to," Trevor replied.

"How about tomorrow?" she asked.

"Any other day but tomorrow," he replied. "I'd like to get some rest in before I take you on."

She swatted at his arm gently and smiled. "How about next week?"

"You are eager to get on wit it aren't you?" he teased, when in reality he would marry her right now if he had the choice.

"You could say that," Reagan replied. "I'd marry you tonight now if in a hour we could get a dress, a cake and everyone together."

Trevor had an odd look in his eye, and cocked his head to the side looking at her.

"What?"

"Well, Captain Potter, urm… I mean, your dad did say that everyone was having dinner at the Burrow tonight and since we love each other and all and want to get married…"

"You're kidding right?" she asked, though she could tell from the look in his eye that she wasn't. "Are you serious, Trevor?"

"Only if you want to," he replied. "What ever wedding you want you can have."

Reagan pondered it for a moment, and decided nothing seemed more perfect or and nothing felt more right.

She nodded eagerly and he grinned at her, taking her into his arms, his lips claiming her again. This time they were under the shelter of her umbrella, so at least they weren't getting wet.

A/N: Since you have all been so patient at waiting for me to get this thing moving along and now that my computer issues are fixed (cross your fingers) and I am settled into my new home for the next six months and there are no problems with my husband in Iraq (again, cross your fingers) then this should be done by the end of April. Thank you all for being such wonderful readers (and reviewers!) ! EE


	14. Chapter Thirteen: An Unexpected Wedding ...

**Chapter Thirteen: An Unexpected Wedding Guest(s)**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter._

_A/N: More fluff. And don't fall off the cliff._

Reagan stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was in awe, not aware that she could look this beautiful, and still in shock that she and Trevor had pulled together a wedding in four hours.

_Four hours,_ Reagan thought. Five hours ago, she had been engaged to Brent. Four hours ago she and Trevor confessed their feelings for each other, in the middle of a rainy street no less, and then decided that they were going to get married. _Tonight._

After multiple Floo calls to her parents, Trevor's aunt and uncle, James, Darenn, Lane, Cal and a few others, Reagan and Trevor had met everyone in Diagon Alley. Reagan's parents had miraculously convinced her grandmum to move the dinner to the Potter's house. Reagan, her mum, Trevor's Aunt Sarah, Erika, Avery, Lane and Alison Potter had set off immediately to Madam Malkins, while Trevor, Harry, his Uncle Matt Beau Robbins who was a Hufflepuff friend of Trevor's from school, James, Darenn and Cal all went off to Gladrags in Hogsmeade.

Reagan raced through dress robe after dress robe, some bridal, some just formal. She had had an idea of what she wanted when she was going to get married to Brent, but now that her groom had changed, her wedding ideas and preferences had also. Ali, Lane, Erika and Avery tried on different dresses, commenting on the change of groom and wedding date Reagan and Trevor had thrown on them minutes earlier.

"_What on earth are we all doing here?" James asked._

"_Wait till Darenn gets here," Reagan replied. Moments later Darenn appeared beside his brother and his wife, Avery was immediately following him._

"_Okay, Darenn is here," James said. "Why did you call us all to Diagon Alley?"_

_Reagan and Trevor eyed each other. "Well, as some of you might or might not know, Brent and I are no longer getting married."_

"_That was the big announcement?" Darenn asked. "I could have told you that!"_

"_Darenn, please," Ginny said to her son._

"_And Anne Marie and I aren't getting married either," Trevor said. _

"_So that means…" James paused. "What does that mean?"_

"_To make a long story short," Reagan began. "Trevor and I are still getting married, we're just marrying each other."_

_There was a long pause. A very long pause._

"_You're what!" James cried._

"_But you two hate each other!" Darenn exclaimed. "You can't stand each other!"_

"_We worked through our differences," Reagan replied._

"_Or someone finally realized what she was feeling the entire time," Trevor said._

"_I did not finally realize," Reagan said, turning to Trevor. "I just needed a little encouragement was all."_

"_And finding your fiancée in bed with another witch was the encouragement you needed?" Darenn asked. "Well, hell, if that was the case, we'd have set that up a long time ago!"_

"_Darenn!" both his mum and wife cried at the same time._

"_Regardless of how it came about, Trevor and I are going to get married, and we're going to do so in about-" she paused and looked at Trevor's watch (her own had been smashed half hour before when that horrid singing went off in the middle of the street.) "-three and a half hours."_

"_You're what!" most of the people surrounding them exclaimed at once, starling both Reagan and Trevor._

"_We're going to get married at the dinner tonight," Reagan continued. "And the reason we called all you here is because, Beau, James, Darenn and Cal, Trevor would like you to be his groomsmen, and Ali, Lane, Erika and Avery, I would be honored if you would be my bridesmaids."_

"_And of course we have to have the parents of the bride and groom," Trevor said, glancing from his aunt and uncle to his future in laws. "Now, since we have three and a half hours to essentially throw together a wedding, we need everyone's help."_

"_Are you sure you're not rushing into this?" Darenn asked._

_Trevor looked at Reagan and she smiled._

"_Actually, Darenn," Reagan replied, looking at her brother. "We kinds feel that we're getting around to it a little late."_

_Darenn laughed and agreed and everyone laughed. Everyone seemed to understand and everyone agreed. But no one could be happier than the bride and groom to be._

Reagan was startled out of her thoughts by a soft knock on the door.

"Reagan?" Trevor's voice came from the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

"Trevor, you're not supposed to see me yet," she said, shutting her eyes. "And I'm not supposed to see you.

"Oh, please," he replied. "We've thrown every other wedding lore out the window, might as well not stop now."

"Trevor!" Reagan insisted. "We might as well do something by the books!"

She heard him scoff. "Reagan, I'm coming in, close your eyes if you want to, but I'm coming in." She heard the door open and she quickly cast her spell.

"Reagan, what did you do to me?" he asked and she grinned, though he couldn't see her.

"I charmed your eyes so that you could see where you were going, just not me."

"You are one stubborn witch, you know that?" he asked. She still had her eyes closed, but she could feel him draw near to her.

"How can I kiss you if I can't see you?"

"Do you always look at me when you kiss me?" she asked.

"No," he said, his voice close to her now and it sent shivers up her spine. "But it'd be nice if I could find you."

"I doubt you'll have any problems with that," she whispered. She could feel his breath on her, and his lips brushed over hers. She smiled and kissed him, careful to keep her eyes closed.

"This is silly Reagan," he finally said. "It's not like you've never seen me in dress uniform."

Reagan smiled at the memory of him in his dress uniform. Granted the only memory she had was when she had been at the Witch Weekly ball with Brent, but Trevor had looked good in the solid black uniform. There was a black cape that attached at his shoulders with gold buttons and it fell down over his back to his feet. A stripe of red went along the end of the cape, and down the side of the black trousers. Gold buttons lined the front of the uniform and two thick gold stripes of fabric showed his current rank of First Lieutenant.

"True," she replied, grinning at the image in her head. "But you've never seen me like this and I want it to be a surprise. Please just humor me, Trevor?"

He sighed and gave in. "All right, you win. But don't expect me to be this easier later in life. You're just lucky that I'm on cloud nine right now or I might _make_ you take this charm off me."

Reagan giggled, but replied, "I'd like to see you try."

After another kiss (Reagan was sure she could defiantly get used to this kissing Trevor thing again) he left and she took off the charm once she was sure he was on the other side of the door. She looked back at her reflection and sighed.

"Someone needs to pinch me so I know this is real," she muttered.

"But you don't want to hurt yourself when you so nice dear," the mirror replied.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Trevor watched as Reagan's family arrived, bewildered at the change of events. Ginny had taken over herding the arriving Weasleys, averting their questions on why dinner had been changed, why they had to sit in rows of white chairs set up in the garden _before_ they were allowed to eat.

"You okay?" Harry asked, and Trevor turned to look at him.

"Fine, sir," Trevor replied. "It's all a little surreal."

"I know the feeling," Harry said and sat down, indicating for Trevor to do the same. Both Aurors were wearing their dress uniforms, and sitting was not an easy task. "You know, I had months to prepare for my own wedding, and when it was finally happening that's how I felt too. It was surreal."

Trevor nodded and glanced out the window again. Reagan's mother was talking to tall red headed man with an earring on one ear.

"Trevor, I've been meaning to talk to you about something," Harry began and Trevor turned his attention back to her bride to be's father.

"If its about the job in America, sir, I'm not going to take it. I wouldn't make move Reagan away again. She had a life and her family, everything to her is here."

"It actually wasn't about that," Harry said, "But now that you mention it, there is an Auror related issue I'd like to discuss with you, but I'll wait on that for now." There was a twinkle in his superior's eye that he could not quite read, but could help be curious about. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about this 'sir' business. I've been meaning to do it for a while now. As I'm sure you've noticed our family is involved with each other in many professional roles. I am James' ranking officer, as I am yours. Reagan must be professional with me when she is in a job related role, for instance when she is doing her advisor duties. I have to be professional with Hermione. I've known her for over thirty years, she is one of my best friends, yet when at work I have to put all that aside."

"I had noticed, sir," Trevor replied. "I always found it, um, strange if you will. I never understood how you could make the switch over from professional to personal."

"It's tricky, sometimes," Harry said. "But I want you to know that there is no need to call me 'sir' when we're not at work. Call me Harry, please. There are a lot of stresses in our line of work, as Hermione's and Reagan's, and being able to drop the formalities and be family at home easies some of that."

Trevor nodded, a bit unsure if he would be able to call him Harry. He looked at the man in front of him and was again reminded of his greatness but more than that, his kindness.

"I want to thank you for something," Trevor said. "Twenty one years ago, you stopped two Death Eaters from reeking havoc on innocent lives. If you had not caught them, my parents could have hurt more people. They could have hurt me. They could have warped me into a Death Eater wannabe. If you had not stopped them, I might have turned out to be a different person, and I would never have met Reagan."

"Trevor, you don't have to thank me for that," Harry said to him.

"But I want you to know how grateful for it," Trevor continued. "It changed my life and made me who I am. You helped make me who I am. That helped lead me to Reagan, and while she was gone, you helped me to believe there was still hope. You believed in me during Auror training and believed in me enough to nominate me for advisor positions. And even when Reagan was with that Neanderthal with the head the size of a troll, you still thought that in the end she would pull through. And in a way, you helped her find her way back to me. I could never begin to repay you for what you've done for me."

"I've already got the only payback I could ever want," Harry replied. "You make my daughter happy. That's all I could have ever wished for. I'm happy that she has you now, _finally_, I know you'll take good care of her, like you always have. I couldn't be prouder at the man you've become and as far as your parents, well, it's their loss. Seeing you as a grown man and seeing what you've accomplished would be enough to make any parent turn away from dark magic. I can't imagine why they'd want to give you up. Because I can't imagine _not_ having you in our family."

Harry stood up and held his hand out and Trevor stood up as well. He shook Harry's hand firmly, and was proud to be able to call this man in father in law. Harry smiled and pulled Trevor into a hug and Trevor welcomed the embrace.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The door opened again and Reagan inwardly prepared to curse Trevor if he was trying to sneak a peak of her again. She turned and was pleased to see her mum, Trevor's Aunt Sarah and her bridesmaids come into the room, each carrying a wrapped package.

"Hey, Mum," Reagan said and smiled.

"How are you holding up?" Ginny asked.

"Fine," Reagan replied and laughed. "It's not like I've had a chance to actually sit and breathe and realize that all this is going on."

"True," Ginny said. "Before everything got started, we wanted to bring you something."

"There is a bridal tradition," Aunt Sarah began. "It started out as a wizarding tradition and it leaked into Muggle weddings when wizards started marrying Muggles. It is customary for the bride to wear certain things presented to her by her wedding party. So for you to wear, we have something old, something new, something borrowed something blue, something from your love's kin and something from the heaven's above."

Each woman unwrapped their packages and what Sarah had just said began to make sense. Ali was holding a very old looking hair pin, with pearls and soft flowers made of gold. Lane was holding a golden charm and Erika had a gold necklace chain that looked like it would match her sister's gift perfectly. Avery was holding a soft blue ribbon that Reagan recognized from Avery's wedding. Aunt Sarah had a gold bracelet that looked like it might break if it was moved too much and Reagan's mum was holding a set of beautiful earrings in a stone Reagan didn't recognize.

"I have something old for you," Alison said, stepping to stand beside Reagan. "This is a hair pin that my great great grandmother wore when she married. It came with her when she came to America, and every Potter woman since has worn it in her wedding." Ali placed the pin in Reagan's hair, tucked into the web or curls on the back of her head. "Its time it came back to this side of the pond."

"I have something new for you," Lane said once Alison had finished with Reagan's hair. "This golden charm has never been worn by anyone, and it comes as a special gift from the designer."

"I have something borrowed for you," Erika said. "I wore this is the necklace chain when I married James." Erika took the charm from her sister and slipped it onto the chain before fastening it around Reagan's neck.

"I have something blue for you," Avery said. "This is a ribbon I wore at my wedding. Now since you don't have any blue in your wedding, and I don't' wan to throw off your color scheme, we might want to tie this somewhere where it can't be seen. All you have to do is wear something blue, it doesn't need to be seen!" Avery carefully unzipped the back of Reagan's dress and tied it in a bow on the back of Reagan's bra.

"I have something from the Daniel's family," Aunt Sarah said stepping to stand beside Reagan. "This is a Band of Strength, and it was found in the Daniels vault a few months ago."

"I've heard of these," Reagan said, looking at the bracelet. "They were made for the wizarding families who were involved in the founding of the Ministry of Magic. There were only twenty or so made, and as far as anyone is concerned they don't exist anymore."

"Then you have also heard how strong it is," Sarah said. When Reagan didn't look convinced Aunt Sarah laughed. "You could dangle a thousand ton weight off of it and it wouldn't bend. It is naturally silver in color, but when each Band is created, the magic warps the metal into a golden color."

"Sarah, I can't accept this," Reagan said. "It belongs to the Daniels' and besides, I'm afraid I might break it if I so much as touch it."

"Reagan, you're going to be a Daniels," Sarah replied. "So its staying in the family. And as fragile as it looks, you won't break it. It's been in existence for over a thousand years. If it can sustain that long then it can handle being on your wrist. Try it, you'll see how light it is."

Reagan reluctantly slid the bracelet onto her wrist, and noticed that even thought the bracelet was a web of knitted thin metal, it felt incredibly strong and durable.

"Thank you, Sarah," Reagan said, looking up at Trevor's aunt.

"Lastly," Reagan's mum said. "I have something for you also. These are earrings made from a very rare diamond, and only wizards can mine it."

Reagan took one of the earrings into her hand. When she looked at the diamond closer, it looked silver and sparkly, but it looked like something was moving inside the diamond.

"It looks like there is a miniature galaxy inside this stone," Reagan said.

Ginny smiled. "From the heavens above. It's called an argentums Diamond, and they've been in the Prewett family for generations. My mum wore them at her wedding, and I wore them at mine, and now you can wear them at yours."

"Thank you, Mum," Reagan said and allowed her mum to put the earrings on her. She looked at herself again in the mirror and saw her ornaments from the Potter, Prewett, and Daniels families and from her friend's and families weddings.

"Thank you," Reagan said, turning to each of them. She embraced each of them individually before they left Reagan's bedroom to gather on the back sunroom.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Eyes watched the guests gather in confusion, taking their seats after realizing that was what they needed to do. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it didn't seem that anyone did. She watched as women gathered in the room beside the back doors, and realized it must be a wedding.

_Wasn't this supposed to be a family dinner? Who was getting married?_

Squinting, she was able to make out an Auror uniform, and recognized the Auror as the Slytherin that Reagan had been friendly with in school. But who was the bride? She looked back at the women in the back room, and squinting again, she was able to make out the bride's face.

_Have I really been gone that long?_

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Reagan was trying to control her breathing. She wasn't nervous, she was just excited. She still wasn't sure if everything happening was real, and she was just waiting to wake up. She looked at herself again in the mirror, and was again thrilled with what she saw.

She had been amazed when she stepped in front of the mirrors in this dress. It had been the one. It was simple in style but was perfect. It was white, soft fabric, and it clung to her, accentuating her slim figure. It hung on the very edge of her shoulders, leaving her arms uncovered. Fabric fell from her shoulders to the floor, much like a cape, and revealed her bare shoulders. The fabric on bodice was gathered to her right side, and then fell down at an angle revealing intricate stitching. The dress wasn't bulky, and it wouldn't engulf her when she sat down. It was simple and elegant and classy. It looked like it was one white dress wrapped around another white dress with red and gold stitching. The colors of the stitching had been her favorite part, but she had kept that to herself. She was marrying a Slytherin after all!

She smiled at Ali, Lane, Erika and Avery, all in matching black dresses, the design the same as hers, with red stitching on each of their gowns. They grinned at her, each holding a small bouquet of white flowers and looking beautiful in their bridesmaid's gowns.

Reagan stepped out onto the lawn and took a deep breath. _Here we go!_

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Trevor cleared his throat and his impromptu wedding quests quieted down and looked at him with intrigue.

"Good evening, everyone," he began and looked out over the sea of red headed people, remarking that Reagan was one of the odd ones out in her family. There were over a hundred people who had came, and while most of them were family, Trevor spotted a few fellow Aurors, some old Hogwarts friends and Professors and a few other newer friends. "First of all, I would like to thank the Weasleys and Potters for agreeing to the change of, erm, change of dinner locations this evening. As you can see we are not just eating dinner. Now for those of you who don't know me, my name is Trevor Daniels and tonight I am going to marry Reagan Potter."

A loud murmur went through the crowd of people and everyone seemed confused about this new revelation.

"I know it might be a bit, uh, sudden and out of the blue," Trevor continued. "But I assure you we are both in our right minds and no one is making us do this. We decided that we wanted to do it as soon as possible, and since the Weasley family was already slated to have dinner together, we just invited more people and changed the location. And we added a wedding cake." The small crowd chuckled a bit and Trevor continued. "I'd like to introduce, thought you all know who he is, the father of the bride, Harry Potter."

Harry rolled his eyes at the applause from his family and friends and knew they were only clapping and cat-calling (that was _definitely_ George) because they thought it would be funny.

"Like Trevor said, thank you all for coming, some of you on short notice. Now I have something I'd like to share with everyone and this concerns you, Trevor. This will be repeated with more professionalism and will be more official sometime next week, but since it has already been approved, I thought why not do it now, so you can be married in your new rank."

"New rank?" Trevor asked, looking at the older man.

"Trevor was recently offered a position in America, and that would give him an automatic promotion to Bird Lieutenant. Trevor has declined that offer in light of the events we are about to witness, however when I offered Trevor the position in America, I did not mention that he was up for the promotion anyway. Now after the events that transpired in the Leaky Cauldron today, which I'm sure you will all read about in the Daily Prophet and that's all that I am able to say about that, Trevor's immediate superior, Major Lance Cruz, felt that this promotion was well deserved and approved it a couple hours ago. So I am pleased to present you, Auror Daniels with the rank of Bird Lieutenant."

In his hand, Harry held two small stars of thick gold fabric. He carefully undid the ranking bars that were on Trevor's left shoulder and slid the gold star between the two bars and then repeated the process on the other shoulder.

"Now you'll have to do this again sometime next week," Harry said. "And I'm sure Reagan would love to pin you then, so for now I'll say congratulations, Trevor."

"Thank you," Trevor said and stopped before he said 'sir,' and instead said, "Harry."

Harry laughed and left Trevor standing in front of the guests once again.

"Now," Trevor said, "I would never want to get between a Weasley and his meal-"

"Smart move!" someone called from the back and everyone laughed again.

"Exactly," Trevor replied. "So, without further ado…"

Trevor stopped talking as he saw Reagan step out onto the grass. Music started from somewhere, soft violins and a flute. He wasn't sure where the music had come from, all he knew was that Reagan had never looked more beautiful and he could not take his eyes off of her. He caught her eye and she grinned, filling him with an emotion that he could only describe as pure happiness. Reagan's cousin was walking towards him, Lane, Erika and Avery following a few paces behind. The music changed again, and their wedding guests stood up to face the bride and her father as they walked down the aisle of chairs.

What seemed like an eternity, but in hindsight seemed like only a few moments, Reagan was standing beside him, still grinning. Her father kissed her cheek, and then shook Trevor's hand before placing Reagan's hand in his.

"You ready?" he whispered to her and she nodded.

"I think I was ready four years ago."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Reagan tried not to spill all over self as she laughed at something her brother had said, blushing to the roots of her hair. Trevor laughed at the glare Reagan was giving her brother.

"Hey, he's a member of the family now, Reagan," Darenn said. "That means that all bets are off!"

"But embarrassing stories?" Reagan asked. "Do we need to rehash all these old embarrassing memories of me?"

"I thought it was cute!" Trevor said.

"You would if you weren't the three year old who had been charmed, _illegally_, by her older brother to start every word with a P!" Reagan cried. "I walked around for three days before Mum realized that I had some charm on me. I kept saying Pef Peters and Pourors!"

"Pef Peters and Puorors?" Trevor asked.

"Death Eaters and Aurors," Reagan replied.

"Why would a three year know what a Death Eater or an Auror was?" Trevor asked.

"Uh, have you met my dad?" Reagan asked and Darenn coughed on his drink.

"Oh yeah," Trevor said.

"No more stories, Darenn," Reagan said. "Please? At least until we've been married a month."

"An entire month and no stories?" Darenn repeated and seemed to think about it. "Oy, James! Come 'er!"

James, who was on the other side of the lawn, appeared at his brother's side instantly.

"Yes, brother-o-mine?"

"Reagan says no embarrassing stories," Darenn said. "For at least a month. Does that sound fair?"

"Nothing is ever fair," James replied. "Especially where out 'ickle sissy is concerned. Why I remember one time where she decided that she was only going to wear mine and Darenn socks and when we found out about this there was nothing we could do about it. Mum and Dad never had a problem with Darenn and me fighting things out, but we could never lay a hand on our Precious Princess Reagan here. Fact, come to think of it, she could even wack us a good one and we still couldn't defend ourselves."

Trevor was laughing uncontrollably now and Reagan was glaring hard at her eldest brother.

"I agreed with Mum and Dad," Reagan said. "You shouldn't hit a girl."

"Reagan you were never a girl," Darenn replied shaking his head. "Sisters aren't girls. They're just brothers with pigtails and-" Whatever Darenn was going to say was cut off by a swift but effective smack on the arm from his sister.

"See, and I can't hit her back!" Darenn cried, rubbing his arm.

"I'd watch out, Darenn," Trevor suggested, controlling his laughter. "She's already hit you once with wandless magic and now her own hand. I wouldn't push to see what's next."

This seemed to trigger something in Darenn's memory and he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, and it still hurts," Darenn said.

"Since you did just get married, Reagan, Darenn and I will go easy with the stories," James said. "But after a month, you're considered fair game. And don't count yourself safe either, Trevor. Wait till she decides that she likes your socks better than her own and you find that your sock drawer has mysteriously emptied itself. Its happens on the coldest mornings, I swear."

"I have no comment," Reagan replied and this set the three of them off again. She smiled and laughed with them relieved to have a month off from childhood stories.

Suddenly there was a loud _crack!_ followed by another and Caitlin and Nick Finch-Fletchy were standing in front of Reagan's table.

"Attention everyone!" Caitlin cried and everyone turned around to look at her. "Nick and I eloped!"

"You what?" Aunt Hermione's voice was heard from across the garden and Caitlin nodded. She looked around at everyone's amused faces and grinned.

"Yup! We got married!" she exclaimed and her gaze fell on Reagan in her wedding robes and Trevor in his dress uniform.

"Uh, what's going on?" Caitlin asked. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"Trevor and I just married also," Reagan said.

"Welcome to our reception," Trevor said. "There still food left, I think."

"You… you got married?" Caitlin asked. "Tonight?"

"Yeah," Reagan replied. "We tried to get a hold of you but, like you said, you eloped. No one knew where you were."

"You and Trevor married each other?" Caitlin asked and they nodded.

"Caitlin Evaina Weasley!" Hermione's voice came from across the garden and Caitlin winced.

"Congratulations!" Reagan called after her cousin as she made her way through the guests towards her irate mother with Nick Finch-Fletchy in tow.

Reagan could not help but giggle at her cousin's face.

"She just can't win with you around, can she?" Trevor asked.

Reagan shook her head. "The poor girl. It's not like I try to beat her at anything. If she didn't make everything a competition then maybe she wouldn't be constantly disappointed."

Trevor snickered and Reagan attempted to control her giggling.

"Reagan?"

Reagan's eyes snapped open and she stared at something past Trevor. He realized her instant change in behavior and turning to look at what had caught her attention he almost fell out of his seat.

Walking towards them was a dirty, bruised but alive Taryn Pagg.

_A/N: Like I said, I have a bunch of these chapters written, I just need to edit them and reread through them and then they go up. I am eager to get this fic finished and now that I can see the light I have resorted faith. Oh, and sorry for the cliff. EE_


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Sometimes the Bad Are ...

**Chapter Fourteen: Sometimes the Bad Are Good**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything that you recognize. I'm only claiming the non-cannon stuff. Reagan Potter, Trevor Daniels, Constructing… you know what I mean._

Reagan stared at her friend in disbelief. Taryn was slowly walking towards her, looking confused and out of place.

"Merlin, Taryn," Reagan whispered and hurried over to her friend. "Where have you been?"

"Reagan, don't touch her!" Trevor yelled and grabbed Reagan's arm.

Reagan turned and looked at her new husband.

"We need to check her over first," he explained. "We need to make sure she's jinx free."

"Jinx free?" Reagan asked.

"Its standard procedure," James said, as he got near them. The look in Trevor's eyes pleaded with her and she nodded. Both Aurors ran across the grass to her shaken friend and Reagan followed behind.

"What are you doing to her?" Reagan asked. James had conjured a chair and Taryn was sitting, with Trevor muttering incantations.

"Diagnostic charms," he replied, not looking up. He cast a few others, and Reagan saw her father and few other Aurors head off towards the forest she had emerged from.

It was fascinating and a bit unnerving to watch her husband, brother and father all drop into Auror mode. She was amazed at Trevor's spell work, having never really had much experience or exposure to healing charms or medical magic. She watched him work, a small ball of pride growing inside her.

"Reagan, get back," Trevor said suddenly.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Just please get back," Trevor said, looking at her. "She's... she's not right."

"What doe you mean, she's not right?" Reagan demanded.

"Reagan, please," he repeated.

"Trevor, what's going on!"

"Reagan get back or I'll Stun you!"

"Come on, Reagan," Erika's voice said behind her and she felt her sister-in-laws arms come around her. "It's an Auror matter now."

"What's going on!" she yelled at Trevor, fighting against Erika's arms.

"Reagan, you need to leave," Harry said. "Just get back by the house, its not safe here."

"Reagan," her mum's voice said and Reagan felt herself pulled away. "Come on dear."

"Mum, what's going on!" Reagan cried, her tears starting to fall. She was nervous, she was scared and most of all she was confused. "What does he mean?"

Ginny pulled her daughter back to the house, speaking in slow soothing tones.

"Let them handle it, Reagan," Ginny replied. "When Trevor was doing his spell work to see if she was all right, he came across something that must have been dangerous. I don't know what it is, but I know enough to let them handle it."

"Why Mum?" Reagan asked, sitting down on a couch. "Why do _they_ have to handle it?"

"Because they're Aurors, Reagan," Erika replied. "Auror Wife Lesson Number One: When something is dangerous, let the Aurors handle it."

"Auror Wife Lesson Number Two," Ginny said. "Don't expect them to share everything with you. Most of their work is highly confidential."

"Mum, I have Ministry clearance and-"

"Auror Wife Lesson Number Three," Erika continued. "If something doesn't feel right, get away. This is what they're trained to do. If Trevor felt that it was dangerous enough to get you away, then it is."

"There isn't actually an _Auror Wife Book of Lessons_?" Reagan asked. "Is there?"

Both women grinned at her.

"Well, no," Ginny replied. "But take the advice from two women who have been Auror wives longer than you have."

"It's for the best, Reagan, really it is," Erika said.

"But that's my co-worker out there, my friend," Reagan replied. "I just want to make sure she's alright."

"They'll let you know," Ginny replied and sat down next to her. "Let them do their job."

Reagan nodded and for a brief moment regretted her decision to be a Constructor instead of a Auror. The idea of following in her father's footsteps had crossed her mind, on many occasions, but in the end she knew she needed to do her own thing. And in the end, chasing dark wizards and having superior officers to answer to was not her thing.

"Reagan, we need you," James said stepping into the room. "Captain Potter needs your Defense Against the Dark Arts knowledge."

Reagan nodded barely acknowledging that her brother had just referred to their father as Captain Potter. She followed him back outside to where there were at least fifteen Aurors surrounding Taryn, all thoughts and regrets about not being an Auror vanishing.

"Reagan," her father said as she walked up. "I need you to put your personal feeling for her aside. We need your area of expertise."

"What do I need to do?"

"One of the diagnostic charms Lieutenant Daniels has place on Miss Pagg revealed a magical residue. She has been placed under some spell. We can find no trace of any recognizable spell, but there is something there."

"What about Veritaserum?" she asked.

"We have none available at this exact moment," Harry replied. "I need you to determine if she us under any other curse, jinx or anything."

"Wouldn't Trevor be able to do that?"

"He has detected something wrong with her magical aura, but nothing specific."

Reagan nodded. "I'll need to use my hands. It's more precise."

"Whatever works."

She shook her hands, willing the blood to flow back to them. Spells and incantations went racing through her head as she thought of the actions to take. Muttering spells the Aurors had never heard before, she moved her hands along Taryn, not touching her by centimeters. Her legs felt untouched by magic, as did her lower abdomen and chest. Reagan shuddered at the negative feelings she was getting from the magic centered around the young woman's heart, and moved up her neck to her head. Like she had touched something scalding she pulled her hands back and starred at the blond.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Something's there," Reagan replied. "_Revalus motievus_."

"They're going to be kidnapped," Taryn whispered. "Tonight."

"Who's going to be kidnapped?" Reagan asked.

"The twins in the castle," Taryn replied. She seemed to be in some sort of trance.

"Is she prophesizing?" Harry asked Reagan.

"No," Reagan replied shaking her head. "It's a side effect of the spell I put her under. Taryn, do you know their names?"

"The Minister's children," Taryn replied. "They're in danger."

Reagan remained skeptical. Something didn't seem right.

"Taryn, who told you this?" Reagan asked.

Taryn seemed to be fighting with her inner self. Her face was scrunched up, her eyes were shut and her mouth was twitching.

"Taryn, who told you the Minister's children were in danger?" Reagan asked again.

Taryn's eyes flew open and her blue eyes glared into Reagan. "Oh for Merlin's sake!" Taryn jumped off the chair and took two steps towards Reagan. "I told you they were in trouble, isn't that enough for you to go off of?" Taryn slapped Reagan across the face before Disaparating.

"What the bloody hell just happened?" Harry asked, rounding on his daughter.

Reagan held a hand to her cheek and her eyes were wide.

"Dad, I don't think Taryn was under and charm or curse," Reagan replied and looked at the stunned Auror. "I think she was acting on her own free will."

"Well that bloody fantastic!" Harry cried and thrust a hand through his hair, a movement familiar to Reagan.

"Sir, do you want us to remove Abanine and Andslen Weasley?" Trevor asked and Harry seemed to regain his composure and professionalism.

"Yes of course," Harry replied. "Just to be safe."

"Yes, sir," Trevor replied.

"Lieutenant Potter, you and Lieutenant Duncan go," Harry said, looking at his son.

"Sir?" Trevor asked.

"You have a wedding night to attend to," Harry replied. "There is no for you to do here, Lieutenant. Go enjoy your first married night with your wife."

Reagan didn't think she had the energy to go off somewhere. They hadn't made any plans; they were just going back to Trevor's.

"Yes sir, of course," Trevor replied and looked at Reagan. She nodded, not taking her hand off her face and walked with Trevor back to the house.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Abby Weasley sat in the Great Hall, enjoying a perfectly normal dinner. She was tired, and had a lot of homework to finish but all she wanted to do was be done with dinner and into her bed. She had Prefect rounds to make that night, and if truth be told, bit an exhausting Quidditch practice was not going to stop her from doing her Prefect duties or her homework.

A white owl caught her eye, along with everyone elses in the room, and she watched it as it flew nearer to her, but passed her and dropped an envelope in her brother's lap.

"What is it from, Andy?" she asked. "Looks like Uncle Harry's owl, though I don't know why he'd be sending an owl this late.

"It doesn't say," Andy said and he quickly read through the letter, his face working its self into a scowl. Abby was familiar with that look. It was the same look he got when trying to figure out a particularly difficulty Arithmancy problem.

"Abby, take a look at this," he said and stood up. She swung a loeg over the bench to face her brother. He held the parchment out to her and she took it, wonder what this was all about and knowing that all eyes in the Great Hall were on them.

_Messer Andslen Weasley,_

_I am please to inform you that you will be shortly leaving Hogwarts. No need to fear, your Uncle Harry is aware of this, as are your parents. Please show this to your sister after you have finished reading these words._

"What on earth does that mean?" Abby asked.

"Abby drop the parchment!" came a voice from across the Great Hall, and she recognized her cousin, James, running towards her, his wand out, and a look of fear on his face. Abby stopped the parchment and jumped as it burst into flames seconds later.

"Did anyone else touch it?" James asked.

"No, just Andy and I," Abby replied. "What's going on? What are you here? And why are you dressed like that?"

"They're Auror robes, Abs," James replied. "I guess you would have never seen me in them before. This is Auror Duncan, and we need to get you two out of here immediately."

"James Potter, what on earth is the meaning of this!" Headmistress McGonagall cried hurrying over to them. "We are in the middle of dinner!"

"Sorry, Headmistress," James said. "We were given intelligence and needed to remove Andy and Abby Weasley as soon as possible. That parchment Abby was holding was a portkey."

"A portkey!" Professor McGonagall gasped and looked at the twin Gryffindors.

"Yes, Professor," James replied. "If possible, could we continue this conversation in private?"

"Yes of course," Professor McGonagall replied. "Abby and Andy, please come with us immediately."

"Yes, Headmistress," they replied and followed the three adults out of the Great Hall.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Reagan sighed as Trevor put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. They had said good bye to their guests and quickly Apparated to Trevor's flat. Now as they stood in the front entry, Reagan wasn't sure if she ever wanted to move.

"Do you think that if we don't go back outside, then this will all go away?" she asked him.

"Some of it needs to be real," he replied.

"Yeah? Which part?"

"The part where I married you," he replied.

"Well, that can stay true, I guess," she said and giggled. "Might be hard to explain our outfits if it wasn't."

"I know what you mean, though," Trevor said, brushing a stray hair off her face.

"Hmm?"

"About not wanting it to be real."

"I'm glad we know that Taryn is at least alive and everything," Reagan said. "Its just…"

"You'd rather have her be an innocent bystander than being involved," he finished for her and she nodded.

"I liked it better when we thought she was the victim. I was so worried about her. But if everything had been out of her own free will, then she was fine all along. Why did she do this? Why did she string us along like that?"

"I don't know."

"But I cared about her! I invited her to assist me on Constructions and was putting her name on the patent! Why would she just betray me like that?"

"Calm down, Reagan," he said and hugged her tight against him, feeling her anger waft off of her. "We don't know anything about what happened. We don't know how Flint and Malfoy are involved in this and we don't know how much Taryn was involved."

"She'll go to jail," Reagan stated. It wasn't a question.

Trevor sighed. "Yeah, she probably will."

"Jail and prison," Reagan said sighing. "I always thought that was were you send the bad guys. Taryn was never a bad guy. I just can't imagine her being evil like that."

"Can you imagine myself or you brother or your father killing someone?" Trevor asked.

Reagan looked up into his face and her green eyes bore into his blue.

"No," she whispered. "But I guess you all have, haven't you?"

"I'm not going to deny it," Trevor said. "Because you know I'd be lying. Your father essentially killed Voldemort. I don't know details about James, but I know what I've done."

"You've actually killed someone?"

Trevor chuckled. "Not intentionally. But if you Stun someone, and they fall onto a knife, or hit their head hard on a bookshelf, or fall down stairs, they die all the same. I've actually never cast _Avada Kedavra_, but…"

"I really don't need to know anymore," Reagan said.

"What I'm trying to say, Reagan, is that sometimes you don't know everything about someone. Sometimes they keep some things hidden so deeply in them. Taryn might not have been evil, but she made some choices that were for evil reasons. And people got hurt."

Reagan smiled at him. "What else don't I know about you?"

He grinned at her. "I'm sure there are some things I could come up with. Besides, I don't know everything about you. You were gone for four years."

"True," she replied and laid her head back against his chest. He felt strong and solid and safe. She watched the fire flicker in the other room and ignored the feeling of exhaustion beginning to wash over her.

"Trevor?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you still planning on moving? I mean a couple months ago you said that you wanted to move out."

"I was thinking about it," he replied. "What do you think we should do?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I don't want to live in my place anymore. But I don't know if I could live here either. I mean, it's very _you_."

"And you want a place that's us?" he asked and she nodded into his robes. "I think that we should find a place of our own then. How about tomorrow? We could go look at houses tomorrow."

"That sounds like a good idea," she replied. "But, Trevor, can we afford… I mean, we never sat and talked about anything before we got married. We just sort of jumped into it." She pulled away from him and looked at his face. "We never talked about stuff, you know like financial stuff and where we were going to live and-"

"Reagan if you over think this you'll drive yourself insane," he replied, an amused look on his face. "Don't worry about it. Trust me; we have plenty of galleons to spend on a house. Remember how I got that inheritance from my parents when they finally died? I think we should use their Death Eater money to buy a nice, warm home and raise a bunch of Gryffindor kids."

"But you were in Slytherin," Reagan replied.

"But I always liked Gryffindor better," he replied. "Remember how I always cheered for your house rather than mine? Besides, our house affiliation isn't the point. It's the fact that we can spend my dead parent's money on things they would have disapproved of. Like marrying a Potter. I think my mother is rolling in her grave."

"Trevor, that's not funny," Reagan said, smacking his arm, but she couldn't help but smile. "So we'll go and find a house tomorrow?"

"Well, it could take us more than a day, you know," Trevor replied. "But since we have all day tomorrow, we could start. We should also take a trip, a vacation or something."

"Like a honeymoon?"

"Something like that, yeah. I have the vacation time at work, and I'm sure your dad would approve of my leave."

"But with Taryn and everything that's happened…" She stopped talking when she realized he was laughing at her.

"I didn't mean Monday," he said. "I meant that we should think about it."

"I like this 'we' business," she replied. "How much longer should 'we' stand in the hall?"

He raised an eyebrow at her and grinned. "Well, until 'we' get tired, I guess. 'We' did have a very interesting day, and 'we' should get some sleep."

Reagan laughed. "Well I don't know about you, Mr. Daniels, but I'm tired. It was an interesting day. The last five hours or so was exhausting."

"I agree, Mrs. Daniels," he said and kissed her. "Sleep is just what we need."

She nodded and he kissed her again, and she wrapped her arms around her new husband. It was a while before they made their way up the stairs, and once they did get into bed, they took their time before falling asleep.

_A/N: I hate to do this, but there may be more of a delay in the posting of this. I'm moving again, goodness I move a lot, but once I get settled, it may be a while before I have internet access. I'll try to post as much as possible in the next couple weeks before I move, but if you suddenly stop seeing updates until July/August (seriously) don't panic, I didn't fall of the face of the earth. This will eventually get finished._

_Review please. I have no other profit than your opinions._

_And there was a comment made on one of the review thread about Reagan's name. This will be addressed in a later chapter. Needless to say, this person didn't approve of Reagan's name and I found it very funny, especially because the name discussing her name was written at least two months ago. You'll see what I mean in a chapter or so._

_Thank you all for sticking with me, I know my updating can be flaky, but I truly love this story and these characters and I intend to finish them out._

_Miss Erica Evans_


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